What is Nostalgia?

When you search it up, it basically explains a feeling you get about the past. Something that you miss, which could cause a bit of sadness. But it doesn’t have to be. I know for myself, I’ve only been introduced to a new genre of music (well, new to me) about 5 years ago now. Some call it Synthwave, others will call it Retrowave, and there’s many other names for it too. If you’re big into film and media, then you might recognize that type of music from the show Stranger Things. When I listen to this type of music, it does bring me back to my childhood.

Remembering simpler times of going to the arcade where you could win a fighting game just by button mashing. That or heading to the nearest video store to rent movies on VHS and that slow transition to DVDs. And you would have that forbidden adult room that always made you curious to why you weren’t allowed to go in. “Boobies!” I always claimed to have seen it on the cover but was never really certain. I ran in there once really quick to sneak a peek.

Also, my calves did get quite the workout too. I rode my bike for miles on average almost every day from going to the mall, video store, or the gas station to get slushies or ice cream. I had one of those bikes where you had to pedal backwards in order to stop. No gears, just strength. And don’t get me started on Pizza Hut. For some reason as a kid, it hit differently. I’m not sure if my memory is right about this, but I believe they had this $5 combo deal for a small pizza and drink. And collecting toys from McDonald’s or Burger King was something of its’ own thing too.

The only problem is having that feeling where that life has come and gone. The neon lights were its’ own vibe. Maybe that’s why I really enjoyed the movie Cars so much when Lightning McQueen helped fixed the neon of the people from Radiator Springs. Even though that was before my time, I still had this feeling about it. But I also have a good feeling about being able to bring back some of what we consider nostalgic. If you can do it right, you just might have a big enough fan base that would be willing to bring themselves out to your retro video and arcade store that have gone obsolete.

As much as streaming services have taken over, there are certain movies that you won’t find on certain platforms. And that is the hassle. Having to subscribe to possibly 10 different services or more to watch certain types of movies and TV shows. Next thing you know, you’re spending quite a handful of money a month on these and hardly use most of them. What if the internet went out for a day? As long as you have electricity, you could still have a movie night shuffling through your DVDs or VHSs. But if the internet was also down, you could even have a little fun game night. Whether it’s with board games or bringing out the old Nintendo games that you once had such a blast with your family from way back when.

That’s one of the old feelings I missed a lot with my family, getting together and playing a little Mario Party on the 64. And yes, that can still happen now with who knows what’s going on with the world. We just have to remember to take time for ourselves, each other and keep things simple again from time to time. Take a moment to pause your life, your busy busy life. As overwhelming as it could be, just remember to look after yourself. And don’t forget to bring those close to you along with you on this journey. You got this!