Nostalgia is an emotion, a phenomenon even, that is oft times beyond our human control. It descends upon us like an angel, with unnecessary clandestine and a great deal of surprise. Yet it is inexplicable why relishing nostalgic moments is frequently frowned upon. We are told to look ahead and juggle our future prospects or at the very least, concern ourselves with the present as is; there is hardly any good in looking back if we are to dive into a pool of discarded memories and wholesome regrets only to later find out it was just a mirage. When we have hit rock bottom without so much as a medium like water to rise back up to the surface, we can only hope to find solitary comfort and tranquility in our passionless pitfall.

But is it so wrong to run back into your cavern of the past? Perhaps so, but that hasn't stopped most of us from seeking refuge in what we have accomplished. I would think that nostalgia is merely a side-effect of reminiscing and it is peculiar how the two words have starkly different connotations despite evoking the same emotions through the same actions. Nostalgia and reminiscence act in opposing forces and they parallel the action of a sponge. Reminiscence is akin to a sponge drawing in water from its surrounding pool, just as we soak in the moment of living in the past; savouring the taste of glory we once shared and grasping the surreal fact that everything that has come to be has already passed (and yet they were once solid as concrete). And then we know that we eventually have to come back down to earth and face up to reality, so we squeeze the sponge to drain the memories, having experienced the memories first-hand once more. Nostalgia is really like the residual water and soap that gets retained in the sponge no matter how hard you squeeze or how many times you rinse it. In fact, it seems the more you try to rinse the sponge, the harder it gets to complete dry the sponge. In the same manner, as we continue to derive pleasure from visiting our past, we are inevitably stained with nostalgia because for every good memory there is to relish, there are bound to be mistakes or embarrassing moments we did not choose to remember but had conveniently chanced upon it while walking down memory lane. In that sense, nostalgia is really a symptom of our incessant need to revisit our past as a reminder that we have indeed done something substantial with our lives thus far and that we have had sufficient friends and whatnot. It just never does us good to forget how nostalgia stings us every single time we succumb to the temptation of reminiscing.

But it is not always true that nostalgia has to be spectated from such a derogatory standpoint. I would like to consider nostalgia as a side-effect that serves as an impetus for our future actions. It is simply because we are afraid of visiting said unwanted memories that stir negative emotions amidst our trip down memory lane that we consciously (or unconsciously) try to steer clear of such stupid or foolish behaviour in the future (but that's not to say that this is always successful as we very well know by now). Perhaps nostalgia is like that one-liner that always accompanies reviews or 'teacher's comments' that is often so jarring it kicks you back to reality--that nobody is modeled after perfection. Our testimonials are incontrovertibly stained with one line or two that (courteously) "encourages" us to improve ourselves in one aspect or another and in that same way, nostalgia is the party pooper amongst all of the hearty comments and praises. It is the transition from dreaming to going back to reality because it hurts so much, it reminds us that we are capable of feeling more than just simple pleasures or euphoria. Being able to feel pain and misery makes us human and that spurs us on to do better (or at least that is our intention at that particular instant).

In other words, don't stop reminiscing. But don't ignore your nostalgia either; listen to it and take heed. Perhaps one day you will chance upon a stainless testimonial with no words to taint your grace.