In school, I was nailed for it — a lot.
While searching for a phrase in the archives this morning (after 673 posts, coming up with original titles becomes a bit of an ongoing challenge), I found a post about Barry Manilow from November 2008. Then I got to thinking about all the stuff I miss about the past, and how important nostalgia really is.
Do you connect certain memories with songs, TV shows, people? There are even times when I look at the sky, or the smell the outside air on a fantastic autumn night, or see Christmas lights in the quiet morning when there’s snow everywhere — and I think of past events in my life with an absolute, yet wistfully pleasant, melancholy. Wishing I could go back there, to that family gathering, or that school day, or to those friends. You ever do that? Yearn for a simpler time? I’m sure my fellow crusties do, occasionally. I think it’s healthy; care and feeding for one’s overall perspective.
For instance, sometimes I miss:
- Christmases as a kid in our house in Waukegan, Illinois
- Saturday mornings when my boys were little, and they’d climb in bed with me and we’d lie there and talk about silly things for a half hour before getting up
- Certain times from my childhood, the memories of which are usually brought on by hearing a song or seeing a certain TV show from the 60s or 70s
- The feeling of being carefree
The memories are so vivid, it seems like I’m there and experiencing it. Is that too weird for a Sunday morning for you? Sorry.
The other day, I had one of these intense flashbacks on the way to school, when the Sirius radio station (70s on 7) played “Tighter“ by Alive ‘N’ Kickin’ from 1970. Wow, what memories. Hanging out with Missy, Peggy, Julie and Mavis at the Brown Deer Pond, crushes on the life guards, working on our tans, talking about boys — because those were the only things we had to think about in life when we weren’t in school. Our childhoods were consumed with being kids. No competition for scholarships, no worries that our clothes wouldn’t pass muster; no worries at all, actually. Great stuff.
All right, time to get my head out of the clouds and get some work done. Feeling better today, but tired. Good reason to shelve the work and take the day off, eh? Hmmm.
Fink out (rooting for the Saints today because they’re not supposed to win).
How funny you should mention daydreaming & reflecting on the past. Friday night, Chef Chamberlain sat down @ the piano with one of the founding members of his staff that opened the restaurant 17 years ago. Talking about the good old days back then & how far they’ve come..and esp. still seeing a family portrait of the Chamberlain family on the wall & how much the kids have grown.
Then Chef mentions that he did a cooking demonstration that morning on our local Fox affiliate. Also on the show that day was David Cassidy, promoting his concert at the American Airlines center. Chef got his picture taken with David & he’s going to send me a copy!
I got a chuckle out of the conversation – Chef mentioned that David is definitely showing his age & was bemoaning the fact that DC had his shirt unbuttoned practically down to his navel, despite his “long in the tooth” look. THIS I gotta see.
Of course as the conversation is chatting about David & the Partridge Family TV show, I quickly did a search in my backup stash of tracks that I have in the event people ask me for really strange stuff. I kicked off a rousing rendition of “I Think I Love You” and the place erupted with laughter!
I followed that up with another TV show/band hit: “I’m A Believer” – whenever I do that song, I **always** think of you! I think Apex did that song a time or two, didn’t we?
Off to the Deli News
**SMEWCH**
David Cassidy, “I Think I Love You,” “I’m a Believer” (did you know that was written by Neil Diamond?)…all such great memories! And you would think that after all these years, and all the running jokes about lounge lizards and creepy old men in too much jewelry, that David would have closed up the shirt a little and displayed a bit more dignity. The curse of middle aged men (and women): when you think you’re hotter than you are.
HA
You leave very soon for the cruise!! I’m excited for ya, luv.
I do the same thing! Expecially at Christmas. Since Mom and Dad were both teachers they were also home during the Christmas Break and Mom always had some kind of crafty thing going on, visitors coming and going, chopping down a Christmas Tree at Grandpa’s land etc etc etc.
Memories of what seemed a carefree time with no worries. And like you said there’s always a song or TV show that conjures up those same nostalgic feelings.
People often ask me if I get homesick here. Not really. What I get are feelings, or perhaps longings, for that life that was free from worry when I was a kid. Especially at Christmas and while H and I have nice holidays it ain’t just the same here!
Congrats to all y’all Saints fans.
Longing for a life free from worry…that’s the ticket. I think memories serve a bigger purpose than just, you know, fond remembrances of stuff. I think they feed some area of the soul — a part that needs shoring up once in awhile, I dunno.
Great game last night! I enjoyed it, and it was the Saints’ turn, for sure. Now the Browns are in even lonelier company in the hallowed membership of Teams That Have Never Been to a Super Bowl. Only four of us left! SHEESH