Thanks for sharing, Zed. I particularly liked this line: "The idea of things is always better than the reality." One thing that's dawned on me recently is that, for me, this is true as well for events that have already happened. In other words, events from my past seem to take on a romantic hue, similar to a dream of the future. I guess this is nostalgia. But, it occurs to me that I was never as happy during those past moments as I like to imagine or pretend to remember. This is to say (or ask), why is it often rose colored glasses when I look in front and behind, but always gloom and doom when I look right here around me?
I am stunned by your response. I often talk about my "rose colored rear view mirror" as a running joke ... the sunny existence of my past. I am not sure it is nostalgia though. I think it's a way certain people deal with the stress of now. Not everyone has sunny memories, I know. I regards to gloom and doom, I can often look around and see it that way but also catch myself seeing it that way -- and realize that it's like a filter I am creating.
Oh, 'rose colored rear view mirror'.....I love that! You are right, I think going to our past is a coping mechanism for current stress, at least a lot of the time. What's interesting to me, however, is that it's not always or only 'happy' memories that take on this romantic hue for me. I find myself romanticizing past tragedies just as much as good memories, maybe more so. So, for example, a bad breakup, a death of loved one--events that were horrible to live through, I now look at with a strange irony of wishing I could experience them again. Maybe this is my brain's way of trying to make pain meaningful or something.
Thanks for sharing, Zed. I particularly liked this line: "The idea of things is always better than the reality." One thing that's dawned on me recently is that, for me, this is true as well for events that have already happened. In other words, events from my past seem to take on a romantic hue, similar to a dream of the future. I guess this is nostalgia. But, it occurs to me that I was never as happy during those past moments as I like to imagine or pretend to remember. This is to say (or ask), why is it often rose colored glasses when I look in front and behind, but always gloom and doom when I look right here around me?
I am stunned by your response. I often talk about my "rose colored rear view mirror" as a running joke ... the sunny existence of my past. I am not sure it is nostalgia though. I think it's a way certain people deal with the stress of now. Not everyone has sunny memories, I know. I regards to gloom and doom, I can often look around and see it that way but also catch myself seeing it that way -- and realize that it's like a filter I am creating.
Oh, 'rose colored rear view mirror'.....I love that! You are right, I think going to our past is a coping mechanism for current stress, at least a lot of the time. What's interesting to me, however, is that it's not always or only 'happy' memories that take on this romantic hue for me. I find myself romanticizing past tragedies just as much as good memories, maybe more so. So, for example, a bad breakup, a death of loved one--events that were horrible to live through, I now look at with a strange irony of wishing I could experience them again. Maybe this is my brain's way of trying to make pain meaningful or something.
Love the unwavering question and confession