Nostalgia Knocks again!

“Nostalgia, long considered a disorder, is now recognized to counteract loneliness, boredom and anxiety — making life seem more meaningful and death less frightening.” This is one of the definitions for nostalgia given by Google and I could not only relate to it in some parts but get semifixated in a soft debate. Fondest of these nostalgic sets come from childhood, adolescence and adulthood of a decade – pretty much entire life!

Social media has played an important role here where I have connected with some of my most favorite people in all times of life mentioned above. As someone said to me once, “you never had time to look back, you were too busy living daily…” true that in the every sense; memories related to cycling to school, regrets of the basket-ball court, guilt of that extra hour wasted in college, carefree banter in office canteen and spontaneous road trips to the hills keep haunting amongst many things.

I love bringing people to my city of nostalgia. Even if it’s not their first time visiting, the experience is usually memorable. It serves like a backdrop for falling in love, as if strolling through, stopping to steal a kiss in the park or under a huge arch - like in a Woody Allen movie. If you took my city away, the story would still be there, but it wouldn’t be nearly as emotionally riveting. Because to imagine them through the eyes of your own in the time gone by is, like to see the city although it aches to be viewed. In my city I even visit places I’d never been to, ate food that I always wanted to and enjoyed and experienced like an explorer. It is like having a love affair like you’ve never had with any person. Ironic, isn’t it? Honestly, those trips are one of my best trips back “home.”

Amazingly, some images are vivid to this day. We all had fun, lots of it. But, we were also unbelievably cruel to one another. We broke hearts, did not care enough and at times just kept distances, yet we try to meet again and ‘network’ (that’s what grown-ups do) with the fond hope of making amends. Nevertheless, often end up repeating the mistakes of the past, sometimes as tragedy and often as farce. After all, for some it does not matter, for some it mattered but little they could do, some move on, and favoritest of them all – some do not have time! This is an ode to all of them who visit my city often.