NOSTALGIC DELUSIONS

 Nostalgia has an uncanny characteristic of tricking our mind to believe that those cherished past moments that we lived through are more desirable than the present. When we indulge in remembrance of olden days ,there is a sense of euphoria that fills us .It is more often an uncontrollable urge to relive the past in order to regain the moments already lost as the  clock ticked irrespective of our wishes not to loose them. The delusion of the past, so eloquently captured in the lyrics of Carpenter’s  song “Yesterday once more”  or Jagjit singh’s   “Woh kagaz ki kashti” is all too familiar to us. But, change is the only constant in this world and in nature. When events get frozen as memories, the pleasure that is attached to them only fades as time passes. The faster the changes associated with time, faster is the  fading of old in order to give space to the new. Therefore, when changes occur faster than  our comprehension, it brings with it a new dimension of identity with the present. We have, but no choice than to accept it and enjoy it as we live through, without being caught in  nostalgic web of the past and left yearning for it.

Newer technologies and 24x7 work time culture has added an entirely new perspective to time. Many of us work through the nights and sleep through the day, blurring the boundaries between day and night. The early morning Tanpura sounds of  All India Radio  or the weekly dose of Binaca Geet Mala of sixties and senventies have been replaced by non-stop melodies plugged into the ears in the form of micro-mini gadgets. Nine pm gym workout is more popular than early morning surya- namaskar. Live weekend get together of friends and relatives is replaced by online chats in make-believe virtual reality.. Contemplation and inner reflections are done while buzzing through bright lit streets at break-neck speed, and not necessarily during the stillness of morning twilight. Which is better, who knows. More and more of activities are filled in less and less time period, unlike  the largely relaxed long empty days of yester years.

 As we try to keep pace with our lives and meet each deadlines through breathtaking technological advancements, We have no choice but to change our psyche in line with the new challenges to maintain our equanimity. Living in present is no longer a prescription offered by life-style gurus, but a necessity of modern living. Alvin Tofler could not have been more prophetic when he predicted in his book FUTURE SHOCK this challenge that the society has to face as we wade though the time into future, riding on the wheels of technology. The growing sense of irrelevance and detachment one feels when unable to keep pace with these challenges are the early symptoms of this shock. At one level we have to be adept at skilful handling of modern gadgets that overwhelmingly interfaces with the physical world and the associated quick thinking ability befitting contemporary needs. While on another level, leisure indulgences like art music and literature is equally relevant. The Art of modern living perhaps lie in our ability to handle the shrinking  dimensions of space and time at these multiple levels. Meanwhile, in between and if one can still manage, occasional visits down the memory lane may well be a worthwhile effort to experience the vicarious pleasures frozen somewhere in our memories.

KKR