Nostalgia

About a week ago I was rummaging through some stuff in my old closet when I stumbled across the little item in the picture. For those of you who never had one, that's an nifty little device known as a ViewMaster. To use, simply insert the picture reel into the slot then look through the ocular lenses and ZOWIE! The pictures appear before your eyes in three, count 'em, three stunning dimensions.

Okay, so it's a simple toy, but still fun.

Simple or not, it succeeded in bringing me back to younger days, and I spent a few minutes reflecting on being a seven-year-old. Gosh, it was such a simple time. Do a daily amount of schoolwork (and since I was homeschooled this could be accomplished before noon) then simply play. Let your imagination loose from now until bedtime.
I still recall the thrills I could get from the simplest things, like exploring a toy store. Times sure change, huh? Everything's faster and more sophisticated now. Real life is a lot more complicated than it was at seven-years-old.
Not that there's anything wrong with that. I very much enjoyed high school and the friends I made there and now I'm currently going through the same experience in college. Still, every once in a while I get a little wistful for the younger days, when things were simpler and imagination reigned free.

In fact, I think everyone goes through this to some degree. I don't know how many people want to go back to being a kid again, but I do know that at times everyone wants to drop reality for a while and go play with their imagination. Don't believe me? Well, look around. Fantasy is an incredibly popular genre today. Star Wars is the second-biggest film franchise. Superheroes in the media comprise a huge industry that covers comic books, video games, and movies. Why are these things so big? Many people, including myself, buy into these things and others because, quite simply, we want to escape from reality and return to something wonderful that captures our imaginations. J.R.R. Tolkien understood this. That's why he wrote the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Even as adults, we're still dreaming.

Okay, that was a bit long-winded, but it was on my mind. Hopefully it gave you a little somethin' to ponder on.

Up, up, and away!
T.H. Excellence