Thought From The Bathtub

I’ve never cared much for nostalgia. It seems fun to sit back and remember- remember when we were young, and hip, and relevant and all of that. And then there’s the siren song of memories from a carefree childhood. But I’ve always found it to be a trap that ultimately leads to depression.

After the initial rush of better days now gone, one is left with the depressing reality that those days are in fact long gone, never to return. Nostalgia has always left a bitter taste that’s kept me on guard against its lure for years now. I thought for awhile that it held no benefit at all.

Then- while relaxing in the tub it occurred to me that our identity, our sense of self is wrapped up in the memory of things experienced up to this point in time. Without memory to provide context, we would simply become unhinged and lost. Just hang out with an Alzheimer’s patient for awhile to see what I mean.

I’ve read that it becomes more and more difficult to hang on to memory as we age. So it occurred to me while soaking in the hot bath that nostalgia may well be an evolutionary device that creates a longing for days gone by- in order to keep us mulling the past- in an effort to continually refresh the old memory stick.

I used to tell people that I was nostalgic for the future. I never really knew what that meant, but it sounded somewhat profound so I kept it in the wit arsenal. But now I’ve seen the light.

Nostalgia is my friend.

It’s there to keep reminding me who I am.

Then again-
I’m no scientist.
I’m just a guy who likes to lie in the bathtub.


Mad Pundit Radio will be filling in for the vacationing Kimmer on 640 WGST tomorrow (7-7-06).

We’ll have issues, street theater, contests, the rednecks and the erudite types- so join us from 3-6:30p.

We’ll take calls and all that-
plus you can shoot us an e-mail anytime during the show at madpundit@yahoo.com

Join us.