Nostalgia 1: A Psychological Phenom of Epic Proportions
- Willow Williams
- Sep 26, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 30, 2024
Every third Friday and Saturday in September, there's a local event called the Sausage Fest. It's a fundraiser for a Catholic school in my area that I have been attending since before I can even remember. I was even born in the hospital across the street from where they have the event. And I've taken my kids to it every year. And my grandkids. It's something my entire family looks forward to every year. We plan our gaming route, food meet-ups, and start the Pop Toss smack-talk weeks in advance. Needless to say, this festival is in my blood.
It's basically an October Fest in September. It's German theme, has German food, beer, and many get in the spirit and attend in lederhosen, dirndls, and green felt hats with feathers sticking out of them.
They usually have a stage where cute tiny children show off their ballet skillz and little old ladies clog dance in pink sparkly outfits to 'Happy' by Pharrell. Freakin' ADORABLE all over.
And it's the cheesiest event you'll ever attend. They have ridiculous carnival style games like bean bag tosses, duck and fish ponds, and Scat Cat where you throw tiny shoes at wooden cats on a fence trying to knock them over. A favorite is das fliegende Huhn, or the flying chicken. A small rubber chicken is placed on a flinger? I guess is what you would call it? You stomp on it and send the chicken, hopefully!, into a metal tub. If you get all five chickens in, you get a cool chicken hat!
You almost always get a prize though, no matter if you win or lose. But damn, I hate losing! That's why I love the lollipop tree. You pick a tootsie pop off a wooden tree, and if it's got a colored end, you win! If it doesn't, you still get the lollipop. #winning
And then there's Pop Toss. Oh Pop Toss, you fickle beast! You toss metal canning rings and try to hook them onto tall old-school Pepsi bottles, the ones with the long necks. If you hook a ring, you get a can of soda. I almost always beat my kiddo. This year, though, neither of us won. No bragging rights for a year for me. DAMN IT. I did beat Friend D though, so that's a win.
And then… Bingo!
You can't get me out to play bingo any other time of the year, but man! Do I jones for it during Sausage Fest! There's just something about it. We usually play until someone in our group wins, but this year, alas! Skunked at Bingo also! They can't all be winning years. Sigh…
And they change things once in a while, as all things must evolve, but it irks me. One year, they had straight cut fries instead of waffle fries, and I was devastated! A couple of years back, pop-up tents replaced the giant parachute they used for shade. Safer in our windy city, but not the same. And the biggie this year, THEY CHANGED OUT THE BINGO CARDS Y'ALL. I can't even…
And I couldn't attend in 2023 because I had covid. Now THAT was devastating!
So why did I just take 532 words to describe Sausage Fest to you? Nostalgia, my friends, nostalgia. It's a psychological phenom of epic proportions.
The definition of nostalgia is "…a complex emotional experience that combines both positive and negative feelings. It’s that peculiar mix of joy and sadness we feel when reminiscing about bygone days." (1) Other definitions I looked at used the word wistful a lot. I think that pretty much sums it up. Wistful…
I know we can't live in the past. Nope. Nope. Nope. The saying "you can never go home" is 134.63% true. So does nostalgia serve any purpose except to bum us the fuck out? For decades, nostalgia was even thought of as a cause of depression and melancholy. So why would we get nostalgic at all? Seems like something to be avoided at all costs. I have a hard enough time staying sane without getting all nostalgic on top of everything else!
Don't fret, my friends. You know there's always eine Methode für meinen Wahnsinn.
Man, the German language sure is FUN!
Anyhoo, our good buddies at Psychology Today outline four good and happy ways nostalgia is great for you (1).
self-continuity and identity formation
social connectedness and bonding
a mood enhancer and a source of emotional resilience
a coping mechanism for stress and anxiety
I think these are four great ideas to explore together, don't you? Let's look at each in turn in the next couple of articles of mine here at BDL, using nostalgia as a jumping off point, and see where we end up.
I'm game if you are! We'll all be winners! :D
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