Nostalgia or Safe Treading?

What's with nostalgia? Is it a form of escape where one delves deep into his or her own fantasy, an ideal world beyond the pugnacious grip of harsh reality? For me, i think it is... Laughable really. I always thought that nostalgia is for older people much accustomed to a previous era, a different culture altogether but recently i discovered that i'm guilty of this too and i'm only a grand nineteen this year.

Indulging in sentimental songs of yesteryears, grand dames of which i have never heard before seem to soothe my soul. But at the same time, this very same feeling threatens to morph into a negative feeling of gloom and dread. I don't know why.Probably it can be attributed to the fact that i feel troubled-indulging in escape is not something sanctioned by society. People often encouraged their kids to study hard for a bright future. It seems the entire society is poised and orientated towards the future.

Isn't it ludicrous? a "bright" future? The future is afterall unknown, akin to the unexplored wilderness beyond the Grand Mississippi during the gold rush, never failing to intrigue even the most seasoned of the pioneers. To me, it represent a large expanse of unlit stage floor with only the spot which one is standing on illuminated by an unsteady and unreliable light. Would you dare to venture out from that familiar homestead to the unexplored?

Well...i can't really answer that myself too. One will wish to remain rooted on the spot, frozen at that instant forever if, only when he or she experiences what i call the peak in life. Nothing could possible could go wrong. Suddenly, you are making significant inroads all all fronts. You have never felt more secure socially with friendships and family ties humming along. You have a rosy future. Either your dad is experiencing a career boom or you youself is on a promising career thus the family coffers are bursting at their seams. Your current life seems to have reach a zenith... would you want to move on to the unexplored? You have everything to lose! Or so it seems...

But when you are on a rough patch, a down spiral, you logically want to move on. Simply put, you want to draw a better lot than now. Anything is better than what you are experiencing now. Isn't it contradictory then? We would like to freeze our lives when it appears to be at its best yet we want it to permutate and quickly spawn possibilities to change our fate when we are on a down streak. Life is not a game. We can't save it and reload it at our whim and fancy. The folks at Blizzard behind Diablo II were apparently adamant that gamers "pay" for their actions.

So it appears now that the greater issue to confront now is not whether one should stay fixated and be forgotten in the annals of history or should he or she march relentlessly with the passage of time into the future. Rather, the issue to take on is to make prudent maneuvers on the moment so as to avoid mistakes that will make one regret later on in life. Then he or she will dream of going back to the past...bla bla... But i'd also want to make an overt rejection of the notion that we should avoid all mistakes. A mistake free life is just a fresh slate. A wonderful ideal state like soccer's clean sheet. Cherished and clamoured for but not necessary a necessity. Though we try to avoid making cataclysmic decisions that result in calamitous consequences, we shouldn't react violently when mistakes or mishaps occur. Mistakes like what Murphy's Law says, they are bound to occur. Just accept them as they are on the rationale that we have done our very best to steer ourselves onto the best path. It's the best you can give yourself... would you condemn yourself to a road of destruction? Apparently not.... So, just take the necessary measures as in do the things that you think is right and don't blame yourself if things don't turn out right. Take it in your stride.

Well... i just hope that the preacher can one day really walk the talk and be a living demonstration... one day...