Yesterday's post ended with "Who owns the space behind your airline seat?" Now that seems to segue into nostalgia such as remembering when there was space for one's legs on an airplane flight. And then one could have nostalgia for when one was able to be on an airplane and take a flight. How many degrees of nostalgia might there be? That will be a test of post-COVID times.Will we be nostalgic over things that were taken for granted before 2020? My vote is Yes.
Supposedly nostalgia is good for you - a dip into the past. And the average person feels nostalgic several times a week - and that's young people too. Older people more often. And what about the expression that nostalgia makes one feel warm and fuzzy.
In one study, subjects spent time in a cold room. Some were instructed to nostalgize; some weren’t. The nostalgizers found the room warmer and more comfortable than the rest did. It seems that, to some extent, you can use nostalgia to help yourself tolerate a chilly environment. Some researchers suggest that might have had evolutionary value.
So perhaps to start collecting the before and after things so as to be ready for great nostalgic experiences in the future that will make us feel warm and fuzzy. I guess that means we should buy a Squishmallow plush toy too.
Here's the nostalgia joke:
Why is nostalgia like grammar? We find the present tense and the past perfect.
Here's the National Gallery through rose-coloured glasses.
