Life...

And in the end it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. - Abraham Lincoln

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Nostalgia

Nostalgia is a seductive liar. - George W Ball

How true is that aphorism? When an event marks our minds, we have a tendency to hold on to the positive memories and conveniently release the distasteful ones. As a result, we walk around this planet remembering only the moments that took our breath away, feelings which pulled on our hearts, and memories forever haunting us. Yet we rarely acknowledge the difficulties and pain that occurred in those same events or moments. How convenient? (Church Lady)

A few weeks back, I had an exchange with a friend who was experiencing her own sense of nostalgia, looking back at choices she made and how those same choices affected her current state in life. Very hard to think back to days gone by and remember some of the challenges we faced with a friend, a lover, or a family member. Nostalgia “is a seductive liar”. Perhaps, if we choose to play this game, we should consider keeping journal entries of the good, the bad and the evil to help the ever-forgiving mind to remember the truth.

On a personal level, I seem to be having ongoing nostalgic moments. In some cases, my journals have proven to be quite handy, while in other situations, I find myself looking back with glossy eyes and dreamy states, grappling with “what ifs”…
I came across this piece of music, not so long ago. I was never a fan of Yanni. However, there is an instrument that sits center stage. It’s the duduk, an old Armenian musical instrument. It has a haunting sound which seems to resonate well with that good old sense of nostalgia…
Happy listening to all you, drowning in NOSTALGIA!