Lana Ko Week 15: Nostalgia

 The magic of childhood is captured within our memories. Do you ever remember waking up on a Saturday and watching the television? Or sitting on that infamous rainbow rug listening to your teacher talk about rhyming words. These innocent snapshots of our life represent the whole of our childhood. 


That segways into my blog for this week: Nostalgia. As the year closes and the end of my High School journey is drawing near I have been feeling nostalgic. I remember a time when I used to dream of becoming older and earning independence. However, recently I have found myself really missing being a little kid. This got me thinking. Does stepping into adulthood mean perpetually looking back into the past? 


As a kid,
I remember never thinking back into the past. I only saw the future and lived in the present. Partly because of nativity and partly because the future seemed bright and fun. Now as a young adult, the future truthfully looks tiring and stressful. As a result of this feeling of impending doom I find myself reminiscing about the past, detached from the present, and scared of what is to come. But it doesn’t have to be this way!


Being an avid social media user I found myself within “manifesting culture,”. And I have to say it has changed my perspective. It entails telling yourself or manifesting a desired result. Now I know the science behind this theory is really loose, but I find a lot of comfort in practicing this. It sounds silly but maybe next time you're feeling stressed or scared tell yourself a few words of affirmation. These could be “I am capable, strong, and resilient” or it could be as simple as “I can do this”. As you say these words really believe it. I hope anyone who is reading this finds encouragement within these affirmation like I did.  


Comments

  1. Mahiya RadeApril 18, 2025 at 9:48 AM

    Hi Lana! I also wrote about nostalgia for this week's blog. I find it interesting how as a child, you used to dream of being older and more independent; in contrast, I used to cry every single birthday! The leadup to the conclusion of your blog is flows in a way that keeps me engaged, from the specific descriptions of the rainbow rugs and Saturday television from your childhood to your adolescent discovery of manifesting culture. My friends and I have often made the idea of manifesting the butt of our jokes: "Manifesting all As, guys!" or "Manifesting the biggest lock-in of my life," etcetera etcetera. However, you bring up a good point in your blog: believing you will do good creates an amazing change of attitude, which can be quite helpful. Manifesting can truly be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Thank you for this engaging blog!

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  2. Jane ParkApril 25, 2025 at 9:00 AM

    Hello, Lana! I found it fun that you and Anthony both discussed nostalgia this week, having just come from reading his writing. You guys managed to find different perspectives on approaching this phenomenon, which made reading both blogs enjoyable. I like how you start off with a series of “snapshots” describing fond times of the past that might be long forgotten. You then segue into how our high school journey will soon come to a close, which is crazy to think about: it feels like just yesterday we entered this school as wide-eyed freshmen. I remember being told that our four years in high school are the fastest times of our life, and I am now truly understanding that that is, in fact, true. It serves as a reminder to enjoy the experiences we have now, because adulthood is probably much scarier and more unfamiliar. Something new I learned from your blog this week was “manifesting culture” because I didn’t know there was a name for a belief I hold so close to me. I also believe in telling yourself the best will happen because not only do you paint a positive narrative for the course of your actions, but you also feel more motivated to try and achieve your goals. I thoroughly enjoyed your take on nostalgia, and I cannot wait to read your last blog about “memory.”

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  3. Samyukta KulkarniMay 6, 2025 at 6:48 PM

    Hello Lana! I really liked how you captured the feeling of nostalgia through those “innocent snapshots” you mentioned. As a kid, I was also fixated on the future, and I think we all grew up romanticizing being teenagers and having more freedom. Although as we edge closer to adulthood, it seems that the narrative has flipped, and I can relate to your view of the future as occasionally tiring and stressful. I love that you have been able to find comfort in manifestation and affirmations. Even if the science is not entirely reliable, I think it is a great way to set goals and start believing in ourselves. I enjoyed reading your blog and hope to read more of your work in the future!

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