Lessons In Nostalgia

Lessons in Nostalgia

If you want to get a taste for what matters, knock on the door of an elderly lady and ask her to tell you her story.

She’ll weave her tale with a mixture of joy and melancholy, often referring to objects in the house as props for her history lesson: an ornate cabinet that was her immigrant grandmother’s. An old mirror given to her before she met her husband. A push-pedal pump organ she first played on as a child. She’ll direct you to family portraits captured from long ago.

And you’ll leave richer than when you came in.

This woman, her mementos, and her memories remind us that the world has been running long before we ever arrived on the scene. Connecting to what has come before is usually our best bet for grounding ourselves in what matters.

Whether it folks with some history, traditions, or ancient ideas, what the culture of cool considers useless and outdated is often far more useful for discovering what we most need to learn.

[L]et the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance. —Proverbs 1:5