Nostalgia and Archiving in the Summertime

by Chris McGinty of AccordingToWhim.com

Nathan is a very nostalgic dude. There I said it. His secret is out.

I don’t think it’s a secret at all that Nathan is nostalgic. “Where does he get those wonderful toys?” isn’t so much a Batman quote for me, but more of my brain’s default setting when I visit Nathan. Nathan likes thinking back on his childhood, and I think in some ways that’s why the Summertime Funtime blog theme appealed to him.

This got me to thinking about those people that are the opposite of Nathan. I’m talking about the people who are always thinking forward. We hear about them often. They’re the ones who finish a project simply because they want to get started on the next project. They have no time for yesterday. We have a positive outlook on these people, because it seems to be a trait of the successful.

Then we have the people who dwell in the past. We tend to have a lesser opinion of these folks. They seem to be the ones whose glory days have passed them by, and their happiness relies on their past accomplishments. Or they’re the ones who hold onto a past heartbreak or disappointment as though they need it to breathe, and they perhaps never allow themselves to live in the moment for fear of reliving something. Sort of like this summer themed song:

Is that a Deadhead Sticker... nah, that's Black Flag.

I don’t know what the answer is. Nathan is nostalgic, yes. Nathan is also a forward thinker. Maybe it’s balance.

Nathan’s future and past are so bright we both have to wear shades.

It occurred to me that blogging is a great place to archive your history. It can function like looking back while creating something in the present to post in the future. I was excited about Nathan’s idea to do a summer theme. I’ve found that pushing your brain into an unexplored area can stimulate creativity. What I didn’t expect was the chance to write about so many memories not yet archived.

I think that’s where I am in this discussion. I’m more of an archivist where it comes to the past. I’m interested in writing my own history since no one else seems to be lining up at my door to write it for me.

The other part of this is that while I am looking forward to new projects, most people are unaware of the past projects I’ve been involved in. I’m equally interested in creating new things and making sure the old things are available.

Your goals are your future writing. Your To Do List is your present writing. Your journal is your past writing. Your blog can be all three at different times.

Chris McGinty is a blogger whose love for you will still be strong, after the blogs of summer are done.