I remember when I used to be really into Nostalgia...

DISCLAIMER: This post is a thought I had today, and is not a Biblical Truth, nor do I think I'm super awesome for writing it. Read if you'd like, or skip below for summary.


Sometimes it's hard for me to throw away old clothes, because I have a specific memory about them. I left a pair of old Adidas Samba shoes in Brasil this past summer, but I could barely do it with all the memories I had attached to those two things of leather and rubber. I ran in them, went to Tanzania in them, taught my first year in them, etc....

Is it possible to have too much nostalgia? Can I dwell so much on the warm memories of the past that it interrupts the possible memories of today and tomorrow?

When I was in high school, I believed Monty Python's Quest for the Holy Grail to be at least one of the top 3 funniest movies of all time. Very quotable, and full of silly, silly scenes. However, I watched it a few months back, and found myself laughing at maybe 20% of the jokes I used to laugh at.

Maybe a year or so ago, I was hanging out with my friend Caleb (oh what a swell time it was). He and I have been friends for quite some time, at least since 5th grade. We were talking about some of the memories we had of me spending the night almost every weekend in jr. high, playing roller hockey in his street or Josh's street, and our ska band that never came into fruition, The Speedy Snails. But he brought up a good point when he said something along the lines of: "it's great to reminisce about the old good times, but I want to make new memories, too."

Brilliant. (This guy has a degree in Philosophy, you know)

Memories are amazing. I love remembering where I got a certain t-shirt, or when that special someone got her foot caught in the seat at the hockey game, or when my brother pushed me off the couch to give me my scar on my eyebrow.

(Here comes the big 'But') ...But, I hope my remembering doesn't interfere with learning. Yes, we learn from our mistakes. Our mistakes are memories. I know not to get shampoo in my eyes because of when I did it years ago.

I just also hope that I'm ready for those new mercies every morning. I don't want to blindly say, "God, why can't life be how it was when I was younger? With Saved by the Bell and NHL 95 for Super Nintendo?"

I want to be able to be taught, use discernment, and make new memories, too.



Summary: learn from mistakes, but don't let old memories get in the way of new memories. (While using discernment)