Tim Malone.id.au

Life changes all the time, sometimes too quickly, sometimes too slowly, always leaving memories of the past. I often think back to things I used to be doing, and how life used to be like, and really miss alot of it. In some ways things are better now, but in alot of other ways, they aren’t. That sounds like classic nostalgia to me.

In 2002, I left school, started a business, moved to a new church… basically started my life fresh. Now, I no longer own that business, and I no longer go to that church. I’ve moved house twice since then, and the people I then saw every day… I now see once every month or so. In some ways I miss those days:

• The fact that I was my own boss, and could go to work whenever I wanted to (not always a blessing though!)
• The evening youth services at church where I had many great friends – who I now just don’t see as often as I did
• The carefree attitude that young teenagers typically have

In 2005 in the space of one month, I moved home, sold my business, and had my first overseas trip without my family. In 2006 I moved to a new church, moved out of home, and had my first car accident. And later this year, my family will move overseas. Everything has changed and is still changing.

Nostalgia comes from two Greek words meaning ‘returning home’ and ‘pain/longing’. It used to be considered a psychological disorder, but nowadays is simply considered a ‘feeling’. The Wikipedia article for Nostalgia offers the probably common scenario of one feeling ‘nostalgic for the familiar routine of school, conveniently forgetting the painful experiences such as bullying’.

And that’s just what nostalgia is – an idealised longing for the past. Everything bad is forgotten – it’s just the easy way it used to be that is longed after.

But I shouldn’t dwell on the past. I should look forward to the future. I need to spend some time prayerfully considering where I’m heading, and making sure that it is something I am looking forward to.