Editorials

#YEAR12PROBLEMS

26 June 2017

By Lauren E. White

Nostalgia

Perhaps one of the saddest emotions we can experience as humans is nostalgia. You know, the faint pain in your chest that longs to be back in the past with the memory you’ve just recalled.

It might be a smell or a taste or a view or a sound that takes you back to a moment somewhere in your sunny past, but whatever it is, nostalgia doesn’t hurt any less. And even though it ‘hurts’, it doesn’t hurt in the same way bad memories do.

That’s the thing about nostalgia: it’s always good memories. It’s the days with friends and family, times on holiday or when we’re solitary. Nostalgia is a bittersweet thing that bites us and paralyses us for a few minutes while we think of what we miss.

Nostalgia is about missing something; about missing the past. You don’t necessarily want to go back and relive your entire past, but you wish you could jump straight into that memory. You miss how it felt.

And maybe it’s an age thing. Nostalgia is something I’ve only started experiencing lately. It seems that the older you get, the more you miss what you once had.

So that’s why it’s important to tell people younger than us not that your teenage years are the best in their life, but to live in the moment. Tell them that when they do something great, stop videoing it on Snapchat and live it. Be there. Be present.

Photographs are lovely. As are videos. But they are taken through a lens. You can’t live life through a lens.

And without experiencing life first-hand, you can never be nostalgic. While it’s an unusual pain to have, it’s one that is necessary for it means that you have lived and loved well.

Like this article? Please share!

  •
    Books Best Book Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians
    This Percy Jackon and the Olympians series came about when the author Rick Riordan’s son requested yet another bedtime story based on the Ancient Greek myths. This collection of books has been a huge hit with everyone from primary school upwards. The stories follow the life of Percy Jackson, a demi-god and son of Poseidon. […]
    Read Full Article
  • Editorials Mastering Politics: The Power of the Prime Minister
    Understanding politics isn’t easy – let alone trying to understand the role of the most important person in Britain: the Prime Minister. This week’s Mastering Politics is all about the power of the prime minister and how much of it they really have. What is the role of the prime minister? The prime minister’s (PM) […]
    Read Full Article
  • Editorials What do women want?
    What do women want? This question has been asked by millions of men (and women) over and over again. It seems to be something so complex and confusing, worthy of in-depth study and deliberation. Here’s the simple answer: balance. You wouldn’t believe it if I told you, but women actually just want to be treated […]
    Read Full Article
  • Food Food Review: Las Iguanas, Newcastle
    4/5 If you love a good theme, Las Iguanas is a restaurant you might like to try. The Latin American-style chain has restaurants all over the country, but I recently popped into the one on Grey Street just down from the Theatre Royal. As always, the restaurant itself is pristine and the atmosphere is super […]
    Read Full Article
  • Books Book Review: 1984 by George Orwell
    1/5 1984 is always cited as one of the best books ever written. It’s supposed to be intelligent, sharp and profound. Instead, I found it to be dull, rambling and unremarkable. Oh, and rampantly sexist. George Orwell was clever – I’ve read his essays and I like them. But 1984? It was hard to believe […]
    Read Full Article
  • health The Best Songs for Sleep
    For many people, getting to sleep is a hugely difficult thing. For some, it just comes to them naturally every night. Yet, for whatever reason, so many people choose to have a sleep playlist. If you’re looking for the best additions to yours, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s our favourite tried-and-tested songs for […]
    Read Full Article