Fiction
Nostalgia? Ha!
Lit Up — May’s Prompt: Nostalgia
Nostalgia? Ha! I’m 93. Nostalgia is all I have now.
I have outlived all my friends and most of my family. I have seen the Great Depression. People starving. The whole world at war and millions of people dying. Assassinations of great men. Terrorism. Hard times. Lost loves. Death of family members. Life is full of tragedy.
But there is plenty of great stuff too. I’ve been in love. I had good friends over the years. I had a great wife and saw three babies born and grow into good people. I got faith that sustains me. I’ve seen great paintings. I’ve been to more concerts and dances than I can count, and seen all the greats. Even met Sinatra once. I listened to and told thousands of stories. Seen great movies. Had plenty of good pets. I’ve traveled around the world. Took part in lots of adventures. Laughed a lot. Ate a lot. Soaked up the sunshine often. All great memories. Experiences and memories are really all you get in life.
Nostalgia is just how we fool ourselves and keep the darkness at bay. There weren’t really any “good-old-days.” Only good days for you.
The trick is to remember the good things and let the bad things fade away.
Fact is, we got it easier now than ever. I can buy anything I want sitting right here on my couch. But easy ain’t always good. Doing nothing ain’t satisfying for long. Doing something hard gives you a sense of accomplishment. Work and helping people gives you purpose.
Every day now is a battle with pain and tiredness for me. But it doesn’t matter. My time here is short. I quit looking back a while ago. Now I’m looking forward to my next adventure. I got a feeling it’s going to be a doozy.
