Reminiscing with Nostalgia

Final part

The grace and elegance of those beautiful moments, our friendships that have endured, the fragrance of treasured memories of our coming-of-age years, our homes, schools, playgrounds, and all of our childhood adventures, the giggles and laughter, and the faint echoes of timeless Hindi melodies emanating from the audio stall across the Alwal main road will invariably occupy a special place in my yearning heart.

These precious things that, as someone deeply rooted in the past, perhaps may never again come into my life. Alas.

*“Dil dhoondhtaa hai, phir wahi fursat ke raat din …/

Jaadon ki narm dhoop, aur aangan me letkar…/

Aankhon mein bheege bheege se lamhe liye huye …/

Dil dhoondhtaa hai, phir wahi fursat ke raat din…”

Nostalgic memories take me back in time—it is not the ubiquity of technological interconnectedness of today's times that helps ease the elegiac pain of longing, but rather some kind of, dare I mention, spiritual connection with antiquity or times gone by—a step towards the back, rearwards in time, if you will, certainly not an escapist substitute that brings pure happiness to my soul which keeps longing for the olden times to come back. While the temptations of a bunch of techno devices we use today can make your heart grow fonder when you catch a glimpse of old pictures or read about the past days in your palmtop, it is not even considerably solacing, to put it that way, in a world where the future is not only inherently uncertain but does not exist (doomsayers say: the end is near. Really?), the present is a complex perversity already. Therefore, it is only natural that looking back on the past can give us the necessary solace and a solid reason to live on—possibly a far greater sense of purpose in life than what your destiny could offer.

Rather than concerning myself with a utopian futurist techno-fantasy of something that never was, what makes it worth reflecting on is the nostalgia of the late 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s I have in every moment of my life. My long-time dreams are about the past rather than the unpredictable future. I am grateful I have been entrusted with a remarkable legacy of the bygone eras, offering me a classic piece of history that my heart constantly feels affection for. Forsaking the past is unthinkable for this nostalgic soul because it worships it too much to surrender it to insensible oblivion. Looking to the future is difficult if I have not recalled the past in the present time. Looking back gives me pause and adequately prepares me for the future, which is no more uncertain than the present. The past is my saving grace, providing me with the emotional fortitude I need to move forward with my life, one day at a time.

Still, consider that anything good that can brighten your day, whether you want to mine the legacy of the Past or think about the Future, whatever it promises, scientifically or even spiritually, it is up to the individual concerned to learn how to be happy with himself doing his best in the everyday human struggle mixing the mundane with the extraordinary, and the mystical?

Consider drawing valuable lessons from the past and applying those to make the present more manageable. As for the Future, are you still pondering over it? I'm not. Because, as things of the world currently stand, the future will be formidably challenging, even disappointing, and far from green. Environmentally unfriendly, precisely. Though the future cannot be greater than the past, let's hope for a better tomorrow. Hope seems to float.

While I may lose my fictitious 'knighthood' for saying this so bluntly, I believe—regardless of physicists or what other die-hard optimists might wisely say to the direct contrary—the recent past represents a better place to divine ultimate peace than the indifferent and unconcerned present, and though the future—which is still unknown and does not yet exist—will increasingly be one of continual state of flux, with constantly shifting goal posts too, as it were, to strive for as Artificial Intelligence (AI) usurps human intelligence and brings about our impending doom by "allowing robots to think and act like humans."

Oops, there goes my knighthood! He he...

(The End.)

By Arindam Moulick

*“Dil dhoondhtaa hai” - a song from the Hindi film Mausam

Article originally published 0n Medium in Feb. '24

Savouring Nostalgia

Second part

Nostalgia is a mystifying emotional experience, a profound inclination to lose oneself in reflection, rumination, and sometimes even introspective brooding.

It takes me back to times in the past that I have always held close to my heart, never letting go of those long-gone moments I've committed to memory throughout the years of my childhood and adolescence. Selective memory or something else entirely, I don't need to know; it's unimportant. But they have given me the vital emotional energy to try and live a life devoid of disquieting emotions or thoughts, rather something of the great value of sincere facts to go on loving, adoring, and treasuring for a lifetime.

Often, because of my strong urge to go to the place where I ache to go again and again, I like taking a trip down memory lane to the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, bringing up fond remembrances that make my heart sing. I confess I am a nostalgia-prone person. Or better still, nostalgically inclined, easily overcome by nostalgia for beloved old things I miss dearly.

These golden years are especially dear to me, harbouring a special place in my longing heart as they evoke nostalgic memories of a time gone by that I never got over with. Came what may, I persevered through thick and thin, good times and bad, and I will never be able to let go of my special bond with those incredible summers of my life.

So, come hell or high water or caught between a typical rock and a hard place, finding a path forward is well neigh. There will always be a close-knit sense of the good old days, an eternal heartbeat, and a beautiful melody of long ago that fulfils all my days with accustomed pleasure and longing. I've not chosen this path of nostalgia; it just came to me, and that's how I am. The memories of yesteryears serve as fawning inspiration and motivation, an intimate testament to my love of things past and gone long ago, and, shall I say, a continual reminder to face the future.

These formative decades are of great importance to me as they awaken a sense of joy and contentment, so much so that they constitute an essential component of my nostalgic existence—an integral part of my life that I cannot live without while relishing every familiar moment that touches my heart.

Among the most treasured memories in our lives are the fond remembrances of our early childhood friendships. From Poonam's tender moments of closeness to Raju's calm and unwavering friendship, from Ruby's brilliant camaraderie to Sushila's delightful companionship while playing fun games like tikkar billa, langri taang, and eyes-spies, and Meena's sweetly quiet company among us lifelong friends. We lost touch decades ago, but these precious memories have come safely through time as they bind us all, embracing a special place in our hearts.

Nostalgia has moulded my identity and continues gaily to influence my choices and perspectives to the present day. Yes, the music, social identities, and cultural directions of the 1970s, '80s, and '90s have left an indelible mark on me. Reflecting on these decades allows me to bask in the comforting warmth of moments that have defined who I am today and provides a deep sense of comfort and happiness for the beautiful journey I've had thus far.

To a large extent, I consider myself fortunate to be deeply rooted in the yesteryears, as I remain a nostalgically inclined person who feels blessed to possess that, I presume, salubrious subconscious Indian trait still throbbing within my being that loves to mythologize and romanticize through lasting memories and retrospections of the good times that will never come again. This silent brooding, if you will, through this ruminative agency is central to experiencing the ordinary experience of life more contemplatively while looking—with a cautiously optimistic or pessimistic optimist eye—to whatever the future has in its humour.

(To be continued…)

By Arindam Moulick

Article originally published on Medium in Jan. '24.

To read the first part, "In Every Moment of My Life," published in the earlier post, click on the title. The third and final part of the series will be up very soon.