Nostalgia Isn't For Everyone

I'm feeling nostalgic today.  Days like this seem to hit me out of nowhere - a movie on tv, a song on the radio, something I see in a store - literally anything can suddenly whisk me back to the days of my youth.

I had a lot of that today.

It started with discussing Halloween at work, which I suddenly realized is only a few days away. 

I love Halloween - especially when I take a few minutes to think about some of my favorite Halloween memories.  It's great to remember favorite costumes, Halloween parties at school, trick-or-treating with friends, and the joy of dumping out the loot at the end of the night to compare what we'd collected before beginning the grand negotiation of who would trade what candy for what other candy.  It's like being a kid again.

Later this evening, while watching one of our recorded shows, I saw a commercial for It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown on tv and was delighted to discover that it was right then!  For some strange reason (insert sarcastic tone here), Ben didn't share my enthusiasm, so I quickly clicked the "record" button and flipped to something that would be equally entertaining for both of us. 

A little while after the Charlie Brown discussion that ensued (and yes, I did negotiate at least one viewing of A Charlie Brown Christmas this winter), it came out that Ben never saw Goonies.
 
Goonies!  With Chunk, and Sloth, and One-Eyed Willy, and slick shoes, and Sean Astin when he was young and adorable! 

Isn't it an unwritten rule somewhere that anyone who grew up in the 80's had to see that movie?

Anyway, I realized that there is an appreciation for things past that some people have and some people just don't understand.

There are actually people in the world who, if asked to watch Back To The Future, or The Princess Bride, or When Harry Met Sally, would be inclined to say "no thanks, I've seen it already" rather than (my personal tendency) "sure, I remember the last time I watched that...."

These are the same people who don't understand my desire to watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation or White Christmas, or A Christmas Story multiple times each December.

So, today, as I remember favorite movies of the 80's, and think ahead to Halloween, and the whole holiday season, and snow, and tv specials, and yummy food, and re-watching my favorite Christmas movies, I'm thankful for my nostalgic tendencies. 

(And if there are ever little Whaleys, we all know which parent will be only too willing to sit down to watch endless loops of How The Grinch Stole Christmas, and A Christmas Carol, and any other silly Christmas move they can think of.)

(I should also note that it's possible that after writing this blog I'll have to systematically watch all the movies that I've just mentioned.)