Why are we nostalgic?

 

Everywhere you look these days, you are starting to see retro-this and vintage-that. Why?

I know that I love the nostalgic vibe. I love the music I grew up with, I love to see old films and TV programmes and I love looking back at things from those days.

But it’s more than that I think.

For me, it feels like an escape to a less complicated time, a time of different morals and values, a slower-paced way of living my life. Don't get me wrong, I know the past wasn't perfect, I'm not saying that it was.

Perhaps it’s my age. Perhaps it’s not. I think in this hectic non-stop, be in contact with the World all the time life we have today, the past seems to be one place that seems to make sense.

Not only to those of my age, but I see it everywhere. When watching the TV, listen to the music used in advertising. I’m hearing so many old songs. See how many programmes are set in the 50s, 60s and 70s. Shows such as Endeavour and WPC56  are just two examples.

We’ve witnessed a resurgence in vinyl of late. Records seem to have come back from the dead. Some modern music makers are even releasing albums in the cassette format.

It’s seen as cool and trendy to buy records again. Who would ever have thought that?

Vintage shops are springing up all over the country. I’m starting to see vintage clothing on teenagers. In a world full of cheaply produced, mass-marketed clothing, it’s becoming apparent, even to youth that you can buy something of better quality and what’s more, it’s unique compared to everyone else. You can be more individual.

It’s a bit like a circle starting again.

In a world where we’re almost constantly contactable 24/7, now that we carry computers in our pockets, vintage and retro just remind us that it wasn’t always like this. It feels like people want to slow down a bit, to take more time.

I know we’ve been locked down for pretty much a year, but it’s not all been bad.

I think I’m seeing people beginning to appreciate the simple things more. Even though when you see the media, they continue to show us the worst sides of life, I think many people would like to see a return to a more courteous, less hectic way of life, and not just those of our age.

Even in my world, the world of the showman, one of the most popular companies in the UK are Carter’s Amusements.

With rides as old as the late 1800’s, they’re successfully standing alongside the modern-day equivalent rides and holding their own.

Their fairgrounds seem to be more full than many others, they’re always frequented by families, all revelling in a time gone by. They're in-demand with television and film companies, and enthusiasts of fairgrounds love them. They can go to the fairground and look at how it used to be. See the older rides and the attractions, look admiringly at the fairground art and enjoy the ambience.

Myself and Debz generally go to  a bi-annual event in Cambridgeshire called The 1940s weekend. It’d attended by people of all ages, many of whom dress up in 40’s clothing.  There are jitterbug sessions, various bands playing 1940s music, and an amazing amount of vehicles are displayed from that period.

There are many businesses selling 40s merchandise from clothing to memorabilia, all of them enjoying good trade.

And what’s more, over half the people attending when I’ve been there seem to be younger than 30.

There really does seem a growing amount of people who are harking back to those times.

Over the last 10 years, I’ve increasingly noticed more and more of these kinds of events become part of the annual calendar.

And I don’t see any slowing down of this trend.

I also think there’s a deeper reason for people harking back nostalgically. I think when we look back, for many of us it makes us feel better. The sights and the smells remind us of so many times, some memories happy and some bittersweet. But they can also link us to family and friends, no matter what your age.

When I'm miserable, I look back, even at bad times,  and I inevitably feel better than I did before.

Nostalgia tends to make people think better about themselves and sometimes even less alone. I know for me, it reminds me of friends and family and good times. Yes, I see my past through rose-tinted glasses and I think many others do. It’s why it leaves us with a warm glow and leaves a sense of well-being. 

For me, it provided links to my roots and continuity to it. It makes me feel good about myself and my relationships. It provides the consistency of my life and helps me move forward.

I certainly see that when I attend any nostalgia events. I see the smiles of the old and young, it seems to make people more social. 

I can remember Debz complimenting a lady on her 1940s hairstyle and it turned into a ten-minute conversation. And there were examples of that wherever I looked.

And perhaps that’s what it is at the end of the day. Nostalgia can help us feel good in a way that the world we live in at its breakneck speed, can’t.

And as far as I’m concerned. That’ll do for me.

I’d love to hear why you think nostalgia seems to be making its mark these days.

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