It's been good. Deal with it.

            I’m only 19. I thought I wasn’t old enough for nostalgia. Guess what, I was wrong. After the reading the chapter and then having discussions in class I received a blast from the past. I loved it. Now after what we discussed, my past may have been great or it may have actually been pretty bad. Sure there were those times that I wish I could forget, but who doesn’t have those?

            I was kind of saddened by how the book described nostalgia. Should we really have to make the past better in our minds as a survival mechanism? Is the world really that awful that we can’t handle the truth about the past? If so, that is very depressing. I also think it is a little controversial from a Christian standpoint. Jeremiah 29:11 states “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” According to scripture God has a plan for us. His plan is for our welfare and wellbeing, not for our demise. I think it is Biblical to have hope. I think it is biblical to remember the moments God was with us in the past. Some of our memories may not be the fondest, but God was still with us. I’m sure that most people have heard of the poem Footprints in the Sand. The moments where we feel the lowest, God is there carrying us.

            So do we have selective memory of our past? Maybe. I don’t think that is necessarily a bad thing. But I think it is important to acknowledge the bad memories and not erase them. If everything is perfect, we can forget everything that God has helped us through. It is however also important to remember the good. God has also blessed us with good memories. And since these good memories exist alongside the bad ones, which one would an advertisement try to play off of. Obviously the good ones. And I say all the power to them. If they can make me feel like a kid again, then all I can say is thank you. Who knows, maybe God uses these products as a reminder of the blessings we have all been given?

            The time I specifically want to talk about was middle school. I loved it. That may sound weird for some people based on how it is often stereotyped as the awkward coming of age years, but I loved it. School was easy, I played sports year round, I didn’t have a job, I didn’t worry about my looks, I didn’t have to worry about girls (I mostly avoided them.. and maybe they avoided me a little too). Let’s just say times now are a little more complicated. So when something comes on TV and reminds me of those times I pay a little closer attention. An example is song selection in commercials. I love it when songs are played and I can pinpoint the time I first heard them playing Tony Hawk on Nintendo 64 in the basement at my friend’s house. Those were the times. Eating popsicles, listening to music and playing Nintendo. No worries besides being able to beat my friend’s high score. Buying the product that is being sold in that commercial might not take me back to that basement, but it may make me remember those moments just a bit more clearly.

            One of the leading users of nostalgia in advertisement and product is Nintendo. I don’t know if you have noticed, but some of those characters of our childhood (and before our births) keep appearing in the latest games. Every single Super Smash Bros game is centered around nostalgia. There are continually more characters, but the core is always there. They have created a sense of familiarity. I think the best example is probably Mario who dates back to the early 80’s. This small Italian plumber that was created over 30 years ago can still be played in the newest releases on the Wii. I am in no way a Wii fan, but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy every once in a while going and reliving the old days playing some new and improved version of a classic.

            The past may not be perfect, but there were sure times that were good. The future might not be perfect, but God has a plan. So if I relive the “good old times,” then so be it. If a slushy can make me feel like a kid after baseball practice, great. If legos can make me feel like I did ten years ago playing with my cousins, all the power to Lego. God has been good to me so I might as well enjoy it.