Appreciate the past then move on

Only 90s kids will get this: I miss my childhood. Okay a lot of us miss our childhood regardless of the time period we’re born and today’s emphasis on nostalgia reflects this. This generation in particular seems to be hell-bent on shoving their obnoxious views about which generation had the best childhood down the throats of everyone within earshot.

This is a big problem with people in my age group and we speak of the past as if nothing bad ever happened and we splurge on things that once brought us great happiness at a different point in our lives.

In fact, a few months ago I had to stop myself from spending almost 45 bucks on a Tamagotchi. The reason I withheld is because at the last moment, I remembered just how annoying those things were.

You want the euphoria that came with old playthings but we also want to live for the future and be at least somewhat responsible adults.

Perhaps the reason everyone 18 and older keeps saying they feel old is because they keep focusing on a reality they’ll never get back. As it turns out, when one strives for the comfort they once felt as a youth by doing something they used to enjoy, things often end in disappointment.

This is because you aren’t seven; you’re biologically and legally an adult and though you might find solace or distraction in taking a stroll down memory lane, it doesn’t compare to the feeling you had when you first encounter said distraction. You see this trip to the past is often interrupted by something I like to call “the present.” The search for a career and complicated personal life will often get in the way of leisure time unlike back in the day when your world revolved around flare jeans and lunchboxes.

Things have undoubtedly changed from when you were a teenybopper. I bet you never had to cover up your hangovers in front of your parental units when you were six. If you did, then perhaps you weren’t supervised as much as you should’ve been. And sure you might be spending the morning watching reruns of All That in your underwear but chances are that isn’t all you’re doing. You could be watching TV while simultaneously trying to work out a way to lie to your boss about missing work because you hit the bong one too many times or you’re finally texting your friend back after drunkenly harassing people in “da club” the night before instead of finishing paperwork.

This is because no matter how hard you try and hold on to the past, something from your present reality will always be there to remind you that you have other things to experience and different types of obligations to tend to.

It’s always a good time when you and a group of friends can get together and reminisce about what it was like growing up but you have to move on. Hiding betwixt fond memories on a regular basis is a cop-out and ultimately prevents you from growing as a person. Ever encounter one of those people who struggle with letting things go? It can be rather sad because it shows an inability to deal with the present or the ability to plan ahead.

Try to think about the way the world was before you were old enough to drink. Some things may have been a little better than they are now but you cannot deny that our approach toward a more open-minded and technologically advanced society has made life as an adult slightly easier for you than the generation that came before.

So go ahead and have three-hour long conversations with your loved ones about the clothes you once wore or the music you used to enjoy but remember: there is a difference between remembering youth fondly and using the past to distract yourself from the issues in your present.

Find the happy medium between rambling about the cost of gas in 1986 and seeking adventure in the present.