A Pang of Nostalgia

I often reminisce and wonder about the abandoned worlds that we left behind. Growing up in the digital age, all of my games and toys were digital-  all ones and zeroes on a screen. The only relics of my childhood are Pokémon cards, Bakugan, and a few consoles. But looking back, I find myself wondering what happens behind the scenes when we're no longer there. Somewhere, my Empoleon, who grew up with me, is sitting in a digital purgatory. I like to think of them as little digital pets, but they never show any signs of neglect. They never ask where I went or why I was gone. They just accept me as I am. To them, I'm now a completely different person. Logging back in lets you return to a version of yourself from before you ever had to really think about life. Before your first heartbreak. Before your first real job. Before the first time you earnestly thought of the future. Logging back in feels like stepping into a world left behind in a simpler time. And I think there's some ...

I am guilty of hoarding more "trash" than the average person- probably to a fault. I find I can't throw away some of these random tchotchkes. What I describe as a sentimental item, most would consider trash. Garbage. It is absolutely bewildering that some people can throw away event/movie ticket stubs, receipts, or branded paper bags. I like to keep these things, not for what they are, but what they represent. I attach memories to them. I often go out of my way and ask for a paper receipt. For me, it's not a burden that I later throw away. It's a memory I can look back on and transport myself to a simpler time, recalling the place, the company, and the feeling of being there.  Plastered all over my fridge are random receipts from group dinners or handwritten recipes of dinner parties I've hosted. I can recall the events of each night and even specific conversations down to what each person (roughly) said. I believe that these random trinkets serve as proof of ...