Is Nostalgia An Onion?

I am a child of the 90s. I grew up watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Pokemon, Stargate SG-1 and more incarnations of Star Trek that I can wave a fist at.

I grew up with heroes such as Buffy, Jack O'Neil and Captain Picard. This was how I was raised, not through family holidays or traditions but through the characters that I saw beaming through the screen at me.

It was a time without the internet or the internet was in such limited doses that it was barely worth bothering. You had to ensure that everyone was off the phone line and if you were looking to watch a YouTube video, you placed it on pause for an hour before coming back and checking.

Then came broadband and suddenly porn was a real practical consideration outside of the top shelf of the local newsagent. You could watch videos without the need to invest your pocket money. It enabled communication rather than reducing it and the dial-up connections of the past were quickly forgotten about.

The Years Quickly Pass

I am now 34 years old, yet in my head still see myself as that horny teenager desperate to prove himself and find love, as well as finding meaning in his life. Two considerations that I have in my life today, I have a job that I enjoy and do not complain about too much when I need to work hours above and beyond the core which has been agreed.

I am married to the woman of my dream and wake up each and every day smiling. In many ways, I have found everything that I ever wanted, yet I still consider myself to be eighteen years of age due to the nostalgia effect.

I remember the days of Star Trek and Stargate, as well as Buffy and Angel, and still watch them to this day. They help me reach back into the rest of my mind and recall simpler times. Moments of my life in which I have been able to relax and completely switch off.

The years pass quicker than you would like and yet you still never fully move on. You continue to reflect on the past and how your life feels like a movie on fast forward. You want to reach out and take control, yet it is like an out-of-control beast. One that you cannot maintain and all you can really do is make the most of it.

The Nostalgia Effect

Being human means that we see the past in a certain way. Despite the consideration that our memories are flawed and unless we record or note down what has happened, we can quickly forget and what remains are emotions. Deep seeded and complicated. Emotions are taken from events which go on to define our lives and this is what nostalgia is.

Nostalgia is a collection of positivity that makes us smile and helps us recall simpler times. Even if the acting is a little ropey by today's standards and the effects are not as good as they could be, you look past it as you are eager to slip back into that comfortable sweater. I know that I am and it feels as though the rest of the world is happy to do the same.

Watching the current season of Picard you realise how essential nostalgia is to the show, with older characters returning to their former roles. Hopefully, they will through osmosis, pass the torch to newer characters who will push the franchise further.

Each season has been steeped in nostalgia, yet the current is the only one that has truly gripped fans as it combines great storytelling with an upgraded enemy. One that reminds us of our own flaws.

As ageing human beings we see our youth slipping away whilst the young challenge us each and every day. We see those who have grown up around technology and we are a little lost, yet reminded that we still have a place.

This is what nostalgia is great for. It helps us remember the past in such a way that enables us to see the present. We can see everything that made our previous days great whilst at the same time bringing our memories into the present. This is where good nostalgia grabs us and where bad will sit on the sidelines and languish.

The first two seasons of Picard provide nostalgia without build whilst this season helps you to remember why nostalgia is great. Why it is a great teacher for the future and that we can learn from what has been. I am happy to be a part of this season and hope that the ending will satisfy all of this faith and all of these statements.

A Final Thought

When nostalgia becomes a parody of itself we yawn, just like in the first two seasons of Picard. It was disappointing and that is an understatement to say. I was excited when the show was announced but through watching it I felt only one emotion and that was complete, total and utter disappointment. That is when nostalgia becomes a parody of itself.

When you can class nostalgia as a parody you are disappointed. You end up seeing the past for what it can be flawed and only kept alive due to the consideration that you are willing it into existence.

When you can see nostalgia for what it can be, as it is displayed in this season of Picard, you smile. You remember the good and forget that rather than inventing something new, the showrunners are once again leaning on what used to work.

I love the past and whilst I acknowledge its flaws, I am able to take the emotional sentimenet and the meanings behind the stories. That is where nostalgia can shine and that is what puts a smile on my face.