NOSTALGIA

Memories, Mindfulness and Meditation

It’s 8:30 a.m. at the café. An espresso magically appeared. The moon is overhead. The sun is rising over the Sierra Madres, and Puerto Vallarta’s Banderas Bay is shimmering. Such beauty opens a floodgate of memories.  Relationships, food, music, and travel vie for our mental attention. Sights, people, smells and emotions invade our senses.

These going back mental images and thoughts evoke feelings of “wishing for the good old days.” Is nostalgia always good? Why do we compare the past to our present? Should we create new memories?

We can bring them up for airing as if they happened yesterday. Our memory is amazing as it opens pages to a closed book. The past is inviolate and not subject to change.

How could I not want to recapture my childhood thrills of being at Coney Island, Brooklyn, N.Y.? The Cyclone roller coaster, parachute jump, steeplechase merry-go-round and Nathan’s hotdogs smothered in mustard and relish. There was bizarre entertainment and games of skill to win a stuffed toy teddy bear. I went back some time ago, and wish I hadn’t. Closed rides, shuttered game stands and gang graffiti greeted my return. Going back physically is not a good experience. When memories are that sweet, leave them be. Coney Island today is in the developer’s hands. A new, transformed history, cleansed urban landscape maintaining a few historic rides and attractions. There’s no going back.

Reliving good times is a universal human trait. When the going gets challenging and we are fearful or anxious, as when considering retirement, and moving to a new city or country, we are likely to desire a peaceful past moment.

Re-connecting to our past can have a positive effect. I am the same person today as when I played in a baseball league, souped-up my GTO to outrace a buddy’s powerful Oldsmobile or spent a few dimes for a vanilla soft serve cone with sprinkles.

Cancelling out negative thoughts before they evoke our emotions is challenging. The human brain never fully sleeps. It pings us like an incoming e-mail. How we respond to an endless supply of thoughts is important. If our ego wants to mire us in drama, we have the discipline to say thanks, but I’m not interested, and quickly move on.

It must get easier as we evolve, and through experiences, hone our wisdom to focus more on joy and gratitude.