One of my favorite feelings is nostalgia. It’s invigorating and heartwarming when emotions are triggered by a joy that stems from your past. Whether it’s a song, TV show, photo or personal memory, taking a moment to reflect on it can do some good for the soul.

The recent nomination of Midnight in Paris for best picture in the Academy Awards has inspired me to spend some time on the subject of nostalgia. The film is directed by Woody Allen and rather than focusing on nostalgia as something positive and influential, he brings to light peoples inability to appreciate the present. The tendency of reflecting on the past and not living in the now seems to be detrimental.  

The plot of the movie throws Owen Wilson into the role of a Hollywood writer on his quest to create serious and influential literature. This inspires a trip to Paris with his fiancée Rachel McAdams. Owen Wilson soon discovers how incompatible he is with Rachel once their relationship begins to deteriorate by day and he spends time visiting the past of Paris by night.

During his nightly escapades Wilson goes back in time and meets several of his personal icons including Hemmingway, Picasso and F. Scott Fitzgerald. He eventually finds the inspiration he needs to make his book a masterpiece after recieving input from some of last century’s most influential artists, writers and poets.

While nostalgia is used as a lesson for us to live in the now and painted as an escape from reality in the movie, I’d argue that Owen Wilson discovered himself as well as where he needed to be in life by spending a lot of time in the past. Nostalgia isn’t necessarily a form of denial to Wilson's painful present, but ends up being a useful resource for his character.

I feel that a period of reflection on our trials and tribulations can be essential in future successes. Here are a couple other fun blogs to follow that bring nostalgia to life.

http://www.skooldays.com/

http://my-retrospace.blogspot.com/