ARRRRRRR!

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Posted by Michaelson from eeespace208.utsi.edu (150.182.24.208) on Wednesday, August 07, 2002 at 11:37am :

In Reply to: Remember how all summers were better when we were kids? posted by Fall Guy from pool0268.cvx22-bradley.dialup.earthlink.net (209.179.199.13) on Tuesday, August 06, 2002 at 9:15pm :

Selective memory descibes it VERY well. As to nostalgia, well, sometimes we wish we lived in a time that may or may not have actually existed. How's THAT for a twist on the topic? (grins) We've been subjected to so much revisionist history through T.V. shows and movies lately, that a lot of folks dream of living in a time in the past, thinking nostalgically, when in reality those times never, ever existed as depicted on the idiot box. Now THAT is what I think is sad. So is an empty coffee cup, but that's an entirely different subject...(grins) Regards. Michaelson


: I think selective memory is the key. But nostalgia goes beyond that. Longing for a time before ones own is pretty suspect, in my opinion. That said, like Jake, I would love to be a pirate! Give me a puffy shirt and a sharp cutlass, AYE-EEEE!
: FG

:
: : ...we're not real sure why ourselves. I'm of the opinion that we're (and I admit I include myself it the lot, as well as decades before the mentioned ones in this string) at the stage that we want to remember the good things that occurred, and forget or ignore the bad. Time allows us to do that. We all have our own personal stories to tell of growing up and listening to the 'old folks' telling us about the 'good old days'. As has been pointed out, some had wonderful, warm stories of those great times. Others have nothing but horror stories, and wouldn't relive those times for any amount of money. We tend to pick and choose the good stuff, and realise that though the bad existed, it's easier to ignore them and enjoy those better items in the telling. Now, as to the more recent decades, we're to close to the actual living of those years, and the bad and good are still mixed evenly in our collective memories. Personally I wouldn't relive the '70's or for that fact the mid to late 60's for the same above mentioned money, as all the good AND bad is still fresh in my memory. Now ask me this again in, say, another 25 or 30 years and I guarantee I'll have all kind of wonderful nostalgic stories to tell you about those wonderful decades of the 60's and 70's. I guarantee it! Those are my reasons why I enjoy the study and some practice of the years just prior to and including the Depression years. Like I said, I also enjoy studying the decades up to 100 years prior of those days too, and they have even MORE horrors to describe. Somehow those details are forgotten too, if you haven't noticed? Good or bad, right or wrong, that about explains it for me. Regards. Michaelson

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: : : But they won't tell me in their own words. :p
: : : FG

: : : : :
: : : : : People here have often said how great the '20s, '30s, and the '40s were (I feel like a parrot repeating that over and over). At the same time, they knock the following decades, citing what they consider negative things (i.e civil rights, beatniks, etc.).
: : : : : Fine by me, but I'd like to know what was so GREAT about the previous decades. Is it so hard to comprehend that I would like to know the REASONS for a person's preference?
: : : : : FG
: : : : : PS: Maybe you should move away from Seattle. I'm sure all those liberals there are a thorn in your eye. :p
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: : : :
: : : : ...my theory for why some people have the love and nostalgia of the 20's, 30's and 40's (eras I'm pretty sure nobody is old enough to remember firsthand here) is the look and atmosphere of the era. It has nothing to do with people against civil rights, women's lib, etc. I have a feeling that they enjoy this era was because everything seemed to be in black and white. The good guys wore the white hats, the bad guys wore the black hats. Everything seemed simpler. The negatives that sadly were a reality in that time are NOT taken into account when you have fondness for that era (or any other era, there is no era that existed on this planet that doesn't have some sort of negatives). All that changes with the 60s. In a sense, from then on, what is up is down and what is down is up. If perceptions of black and white have been shattered from our collective thinking, it would be during that era when everything changes. Because of this, there have been negatives in addition to the great positives that have developed since then (AIDS, feminists who actually don't believe in gender equality and only want to turn the tables, political correctness, you name it). When new bad things turn up as a result of a current era, the knee-jerk reaction is to look back to an era where everything was seemingly better and anything that was negative back then is quickly forgotten. People always try to look for comfort and dreaming up a past that was all rosy-colored is a natural thing to do. It's been happening for quite awhile (in the 90's, people wished it was the 70's, and in the 70's, people wished it was the 50's and so on and so forth).

: : : : But nevertheless, don't stop debating away on my account. I've been finding this thread extremely fun to read. ;)

: : : : And if anyone cares, my feelings are that each era has something interesting to offer and there's nothing wrong with nostalgia, but I've learned I wouldn't trade it for right now... no matter what. And I guess that's a good thing since I have no choice either way.

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