Okay, So I've had a couple days to really think about this and digest some of the thoughts. There's some real gold in some of the posts.
So when talking about nostalgia, I have a few scenarios that pop into my mind that bring tremendous "wrap me up in a joy blanket" type of emotion.
1. When I was young (around 12-14), I had a part-time job. I earned about $30-$40/week. I was really into sound systems and more specifically, speakers. I'd take them apart, I'd build boxes for them, etc. On Saturday mornings, I'd wake up early and get on my 10 speed blue racing bike with my backpack and bike rack and I'd go searching for speakers at garage sales. Sometimes I hit a jackpot, sometimes the day was an epic fail. On jackpot days, I'd lug them home with me on my bike. One between my legs, one on the rack. A vintage receiver in my backpack... Up hills, down hills, meandering all about.
When recalling this, I have vivid memories of the smell of fresh air in the morning, the hunt of not knowing what I was going to get. The limit of resources (cash) which led to higher fulfillment because if I found a paid of speaker for $20, then if I found another pair on the way home that were $30 and much better, did i make the right choice?
So much joy in this memory!
2. Around 11 years old, Dragon Warrior 2 was coming out for the NES. One day, we had a mountain of snow and it was a snow day (day off school). I knew that Dragon Warrior 2 was supposed to be coming out soon. There was no Internet to check release dates. One day you'd call the video store and you'd hear "not yet" and the same with the next day and the next. On that snowy morning, I called without any hope but got the answer of "yes, we have it." That turned into a desperate cry and plea with my mom to drive me across the city so that we could get it and play until my fingers bled over the next 24 hours (because, you know, rented games had to get returned the next day)...
When recalling this, I remember the snow, the brightness of the ground, the excitement of all the emotions. I remember finally getting home with the game and playing it like crazy. I remember grinding at the tower to gain EXP and gold while eating some candy and chips. It was amazing... I was in heaven. I didn't realize this would go on to become an amazing memory, but it did.
3. I remember spending boring summers in my teens lazing around. Hopping on my bike, seeing what was going on. Heading up to the Beckers, getting some candy, maybe riding past the school to see if anyone was playing basketball. Coming back in the early afternoon, nice and hot and sitting by the pool. I didn't care about calories or health. I cared about BBQ hotdogs and candy. Being an active teen, I burned off enough calories to stay in shape, which again, wasn't even a concern. By that point, I was into thunder storms big time. I'd be checking the weather network hourly to see the extended forecast. 90% of the time, we wouldn't have any weather beyond sunshine or partly cloudy, but on a rare occasion, we'd have a ripper of a severe thunderstorm. I would fire on all cylinders!
And I had my freedom. My parents both worked so summer was spent with friends or lazing by the pool or whatever. It was whatever I wanted it to be which was 95% boring I'm sure... But there was excitement with the weather and garage sales and video games...
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So those are 3 types of fond memories I have. When I dissect those memories, it's not that the speakers were any good. It was the hunt, the discovery, having limited resources which, at the time seemed limiting, actually created high levels of fulfillment when I finally found them. I could do the exact same thing today, head out to garage sales and try to re-experience the same thing. But I suspect it'll be disappointing. I have enough money to buy whatever speakers I want to create the best sound. But that's not what it was about... It was about the hunt... That's what I remember. Finding the gold.
Same thing with games. I could sit down on a cold snowy day and play Dragon Warrior 2 on my RetroPie. I have it, it would be easy to do. I could relive the exact same activity. But what's lacking is the situation. The limited supply of the game, the likelihood of overcoming the obstacle of driving in a snowstorm to get a game when schools are closed (thanks mom!). All that stuff. It was a nice thing that the game was great, but it was awesome because of the effort to get there.
And lastly, the summers with storms and pools. That's just a good memory. The storms were exciting.
So I suppose that in the end, it's like what others are saying. When we're young, we have constraints, we're controlled, everything is new and a challenge to accomplish many things. This creates a reward and it's why I feel sadness when I can't recreate the emotion sitting down as a 39 year old man playing the same Dragon Warrior 2 game I did when I was 11. The game is the same, but the situation is different, as am I.
So then, how about a Nintendo Switch and Dragon Quest Builders? I already have a switch for my daughters... but playing Dragon Quest Builders might be enjoyable, but it's not going to rehash my excitement of those snowy days...
And finally, we could spend $50k to put in a pool. But as an adult, I'd be concerned about cleaning it, the cost of maintenance, the heating, etc. And why? We have a family cottage on a beautiful lake. Much better than a pool (though my memories growing up with a pool are awesome.) The only reason I'd consider a pool is to help create memories for my daughters, the same as I have.
So then, I guess the question is raised... "How does one feel excitement when they get older?" - Not happiness or joy, but actual excitement?
