Kaden Khau 13 - The Beauty of Nostalgia

Kaden Khau 13 - The Beauty of Nostalgia


19 March 2025

Sometimes, I hear an old song and felt like I was suddenly in that specific time and place where I originally heard it. I also sometimes catch a whiff of someone's perfume that strolled past me and get instantly reminded of a person that I haven't thought of in years. I recognized that as nostalgia, a way in which the past sneaks up on me.

I found out that nostalgia isn't just about remembering. It's a feeling you get that makes you feel warmth inside and how you recognize it an it instantly brings you back to the place where you first found it. The moments that come to you might be blurry, but the emotions you have stay with you forever. i also found that nostalgia doesn't care about how perfect the past was. It smooths over any rough edges you might have had. Like for example, the past age of flip phones or even fashion you might not miss, but the feeling of simpler times and the excitement you get from it can not be replaced.

But, in a world that constantly moving forward and rapidly advancing, people don't have the time to remember things of the past and some even say it slows them down. I say that it reminds us of who we are and where we have been. It's the reason we reminisce and watch old shows, dig up childhood photos, or hang onto sentimental items from our childhoods. I would even say they are little time machines

Nostalgia isn't about living in the past though. It's about carrying pieces of it with us. The best memories don't just stay frozen in time and never to be seen again. They become part of who we are and every once in a while, when we least expect it, they show up again like an old friend tapping us on the shoulder, just to say hello.
                                                        Photo by New York Times

Comments

  1. Anika SahaniMarch 26, 2025 at 5:31 PM

    Hi Kaden! Your idea of nostalgia “smooth[ing] over any rough edges” is so interesting to me, as I witnessed this occurring in real time over the last year. I went to Hawaii last summer break, and as much as I loved the trip, I remember thinking that several parts were not that amazing. However, when I see a picture from that trip or hear a song that I was obsessed with while we were there, I immediately think about how amazing it would be to go back, as if the tiring hikes and nausea from driving on twisted paths up hillsides never occurred. More recently, I went to Cancun over winter break, and in the moment, I remember thinking that “even though this isn’t that great at the moment”— some days were just really boring— “I know that the second that we get home I’ll want to come back,” and truer words have never been said. Even though I consciously know that there were some not so great parts of both trips, that knowledge does nothing to ease the tidal wave of nostalgia that overtakes me when I am reminded of either trip.

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  2. Leila AlabedMarch 26, 2025 at 8:42 PM

    Hello, Kaden! I agree that nostalgia is a powerful force that shapes our feelings. I think that it is important to acknowledge nostalgia in order to remind ourselves of how far we've come and reminisce in the past. Something that sparks nostalgia for me is hearing an old song on the radio that I may have loved when I was a kid. For example, whenever I here "Call Me Maybe" on the radio, I feel like a little kid on my way to elementary school again. It is amazing how nostalgia is able to transport us into the past. I enjoyed reading this blog, keep up the great work!

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  3. SadiaMarch 26, 2025 at 11:30 PM

    Hello, Kaden! Your blog was interesting as I too find Nostalgia shaping my feelings from time to time. It is always a certain smell, feeling, environment or visual that triggers that feeling. I too experience these when I smell or see something that reminds me of a random yet, powerful memory from my childhood, or recent events like from last summer. But, for me, songs also play a role in reminding me events, for example something that happened while I was listening to that certain song or a feeling I felt, and everytime I listen to it, memory comes back. For instance, last summer when coming back home after meeting my cousins, I felt sad, and the song I was listening to just sort of resonated with it. Since it is in my playlist, everytime it comes around I feel a huge wave of sadness, or something impossible to define. I like how you mentioned in your blog that nostalgia is "about carrying piece of it with us" which defines its beauty and the necessity of that small piece of happiness. Anyways, I truly enjoyed reading your blog!

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