Nostalgia

I have a thought but I am pressed for time so I will try to skip through this quickly and I hope not too much is lost in the process. I've had a lot of thoughts lately about nostalgia and how it affects us emotionally. Nostalgia by definition is 1)A state of being homesick. 2)a wistful or excessively sentimental yearning for return to or of some past period or irrecoverable condition; also : something that evokes nostalgia. Have you ever heard a song that took you back to a particular place in time like high school or a summer day in your youth? There are scientific studies that link not only sights and sounds to memory but smell and taste as well. I can tell you from experience that I have caught the fragrance of a woman's perfume on the air and actually looked around for the person that memory brought to mind. Not long ago I had a friend (and now that I think about it I can recall a few more) who "bumped" into a childhood crush that extended into adulthood but the two never dated. After some extensive conversations they found out they both had the long crushes for each other. I have heard this story many times and I've wondered how emotions from years past can turn into a sense of "love" now. I have felt nostalgia myself but it has never led to a relationship. I'll admit, I like the feeling you get as much as anyone when a moment taken from my past refreshes in an emotion today. I would like to focus on one certain aspect of the definition because I think we all understand the others rather well; "Irrecoverable condition"...did that stand out in your mind like it did in mine? To me that is pretty plain it says: nostalgia is a remembrance of a certain time or place that cannot be had again-irrecoverable. Hmmm, then it is just a memory? But why do the emotions feel so real? Because the memory is tied to real emotions that you had originally. How many times have you seen people get together with an old high school flame just to see it fizzle out a short time later? Too many people get caught up in the past. This subject is much bigger than I anticipated so I'll make my point and end-gotta get some real work done. Again, too many people get caught up in the past, what once was. The problem is that life changes, people change, circumstances change, etc,. If I were to offer any advice on the subject it would be this, nostalgia has an expiration date, it may remain on the shelf indefinitely but once the box has been opened and the contents thoroughly covered then it will expire. If you ever encounter the opportunity to "live in the past-today" keep in mind that love has to be built on a foundation of trust, with bricks of honor, walls painted of cherish, decorated with romance and intimacy; these are the things that fill a home with love. Love cannot survive on memories, history, or practicability. Only the test of time will prove if it is really love so I wouldn't make any snap judgement to run off and get married to soon unless you enjoy going through divorces. Take your time, let love flourish and grow like it needs to. Gotta run, until next time. Keeponkeepin'on

...D..