Saturday, March 01, 2014

There is little nostalgia among the young

"The term nostalgia describes a sentimentality for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations."  That is one definition of the term. By its definition, it is not going to mean much to any who are so young that they do not have a "past." For the most part, nostalgia only comes into play when someone reaches the age where he remembers "the good old days," when he can visit with his acquaintances and say, "Do you remember when . . . "

The wise youth will listen to his elders as they talk about their past, and learn from it, and learn to appreciate what his elders appreciate. The word "tradition" has at its root the idea of passing something something along. Wise adults will seek to pass along to their offspring an appreciation for the best things of their lives - the things that they learned had real value. Wise youngsters will listen closely and gain from those experiences. If our youth can learn from their parents' experiences, then perhaps they will avoid their parents' mistakes.


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