To wonder why some people reminisce/are more sentimental than others

[Forgottowatchgoggleboxlastnight]

Currently in bed with kidney stones, but being able to have one fully indulgent day whilst Dh looks after Dd, 4.
Just lay here thinking of my childhood and Saturdays in my teens in the mid 90’s. They really were amazing times, my childhood wasn’t perfect but mainly I have good memories. The trips to the corner shop for that music magazine (forget the name) when I was v young, so I could put A-Ha posters on my wall and the 10 p mixes and bubblegums with stories/jokes inside. Later on it was J17, Mizz & More. The Saturday trips into town on the bus with friends to go to The Body shop and McDonald’s if you had enough, a Greggs pastie/pasty if you didn’t. Getting in as it was getting dark to have dinner made for you and to sit and watch Beverley hills 90210, Baywatch, Blind date etc…Sundays were for The Wonder years, all sat round after a Sunday dinner. I remember the feeling of sitting in bed on a Saturday morning reading books and sunny bike rides and the smell of the grass being cut, maybe seeing your grandparents that day, the house being full and friends knocking on for you to come out.
My life isn’t terrible these days, it’s far far away from those days..figuratively and literally (I live abroad now) maybe that’s what makes me think of the past more?
I’ve met people who are very like me in this sense, but so many who aren’t and just remember for a second and then move on.
Is there a reason some people are more like this then others? Is it a sign of being less happy with your current life?

I don’t feel nostalgia as a happy feeling more a massive sense of loss and a bit of dread. So many paths that were wide open and anything for the taking.

ok f course some things are nice to think about but mostly looking back makes me sad.
it was a moment in time and I can never go back

@Divorcedalongtime Yes, it can definitely feel like that, but do you think it’s always meant to be like that, will we look back at these times in the future and feel the same?

I find very past focused people quite hard work. I have cousins who constantly hark back to “Sunday at granny’s house” every time we get together and a few friends who go on about things that happened years ago. I think it’s all a bit tedious and reductive, I prefer living in the moment.

I guess it's down to how you remember your childhood.

I enjoy period dramas, anything up to and including the 60s , but watching programmes about the 70s and 80s makes me depressed and uncomfortable.

Plus my childhood wasn't much fun and there is little pleasure to be had from thinking about it. Better to move on, and look forward.

I had a happy childhood and many of the things mentioned in your OP are familiar to me (although I'm a few years older than you). I'm not a big one for nostalgia / reminiscing though. I prefer to look forwards rather than back!

This is my take on it too.

I would think it's more likely you can enjoy nostalgia if you are fairly happy now. If your life is different but still fine you can enjoy the happy memories without feeling the contrast to now is really sad. You may be older and not have the same freedom and miss some people but if you have a happy family and dc then your life is still good in a different way. If your life is a lot worse now then thinking back will only highlight that, or conversely if your life was a lot worse then you wouldn't enjoy thinking about it.

You see I don’t find it depressing to talk about the past with my parents for example, they chat too but then something seems to come over then and they move the conversation on. Is that because they’re sad we can’t go back, is that why people feel depressed?

Hmmm. I'm more like your parents in that respect. Talking about the past isn't depressing for me, and it's not that I feel sad I can't go back. Not at all! I wouldn't particularly want to go back, although I had a good childhood (and was an A-ha fan too ) but a brief 'Ahhh - I remember X, Y or Z!' is enough of a trip down memory lane for me.

The past just doesn't really hold my attention for long - the present is much more vivid and compelling. It might be partly that I don't have a particularly good or visual long-term memory for events, places etc. I've also always been able to move on to new phases or places in life without regret. I'm not a very emotional person really!

But your childhood sounds lovely, so it’s not surprising it makes you happily nostalgic, surely? Mine was impoverished, deprived, overcrowded and comparatively loveless (parents did their best, but had no idea because they’d cut me from such deprived backgrounds themselves), so it’s not something I like to dwell on.

@DivineAffliction So sorry you went through that 😔
Mine wasn’t always great, no, but the happy parts I like to remember and I had great times with good friends, who became like family