Nostalgia is a powerful thing. I’m convinced it’s so strong because it’s so comforting. Let’s explore that.
Some modern adults love toys, games, movies, TV shows, and other things that they enjoyed as kids. For many, those represent good times, simpler lives, and consistency. Dolls, action figures, and stuffed animals never judge, never disappoint, and never leave, unlike humans and real animals. I think that’s why it appears to be becoming increasingly common for adults to hold onto them as ballast through the rocky seas of adulthood. This is a much healthier approach than resorting to violence, alcohol, and other destructive behaviors in the hope of coping with pain.
The stuffed animals I have, particularly the ones who have been with me since I was a little kid, remind me of being that little kid. It’s nice to recall how I saw the world, how it was much easier overall back then to be myself, and the sense of lightness I had that I’m working so much to recover. Although I mostly spent time around stuffed animals until adulthood, being around real animals brings out the best in me, fills me up, and makes me feel like a little kid again. Something else that real animals have over stuffed animals is the ability to love in unexpected ways. My dog Sawyer did this for me all the time. While we had plenty of routines and familiar activities, he always found some new way to make me feel loved.
There’s a sweet kids’ book at a mall near me called Puppy Makes Mischief. It’s about a stuffed puppy who goes out to play while his human is away. Puppy has several fun adventures and gets back to the shelf before his human returns. Nothing bad happens, there are no obstacles to overcome, and it’s lighthearted throughout. I always enjoy reading the beginning and end of it whenever I go into that store. It reminds me of the golden times of my life when things seemed effortless, everything went in the right direction, and I could simply enjoy being. So many stories across all forms of media for all audiences have bad things happen to likeable characters for no clear reason outside of needlessly manufacturing drama. Aside from making it impossible to explore those fictional worlds in nice ways, I think it also heavily influences the behavior of those who consume such media. How much real-world drama and cruelty exists because everyone who sees that in movies, TV shows, books, and plays thinks that that’s how the world has to be? I’d like to see how things would change if more media showed sweet slices of life along the lines of Puppy Makes Mischief.
Since there are often obstacles and dramatic situations that arise in reality, nostalgic works can also be useful in addition to being comforting. Some works of fiction intended for kids model how to effectively handle those difficult situations. Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood is the best example of this I know. The Busy World of Richard Scarry is another excellent show that features stories in which characters make mistakes, atone for them, reconcile, and get along better as a result. Because of the simple presentation of solid lessons and the respect they have for viewers, revisiting those shows at times reminds me how to effectively manage my emotions, get along with others, overcome a difficult experience, and so on. I wish others who struggle with one or more of these would also watch those shows and benefit from them. That’d quickly make the world better for everyone.
Simplicity is a crucial aspect of effective teaching, and the best works for kids have lessons simple enough for kids comprehend. Adults can also benefit from this. James Holzhauer from Jeopardy! used kids’ books to quickly learn a lot of things. A few folks I know who speak multiple languages recommended watching kids’ shows in other languages. There are even some things I learned from watching kids’ shows years ago that I still remember to this day, such as the Animaniacs song listing all the US states and their capitols. These are a few examples of adults effectively using resources normally intended for kids.
I see no reason to abandon something that works wonderfully just because it might be intended for a different audience. Since 2017, I’ve tried out dozens of different life hacks. Some quickly fell away and others I use almost all the time. There are even useful things I learned early in life that I still use as needed. If something does the job, it doesn’t matter if it’s intended for kids, adults, or any other particular audience.
Some who feel concerned about watching TV shows and playing with toys intended for little kids (especially boys and men who do this) might do this in secret. That prevents them from having to deal with mockery, scorn, and shaming from others on top of their already existing pain. Once some of their old pain is gone, they might choose to reveal to certain individuals in their lives what helps them, or they might have already done that with some exceptionally understanding folks while the pain was still strong. Over the course of my life, it seems like others have become more understanding of those who enjoy some of their favorite youthful objects, works, and activities all throughout adulthood. That’s encouraging and I hope it continues as such. The way I see it, if A looks down on B for using something that makes life better, then A is the one with the problem, not B.
Although I only met Sawyer shortly before the end of my time in high school, I still consider myself to have been a kid when he came home. My life changed so much just about a year after that, so I easily get nostalgic for both him and the time in which we first met. That nostalgia grows even stronger whenever things are going badly for me, I’m losing important parts of my life, I’m feeling bad, or all of the above. Although Sawyer is no longer around, I’m glad to have so much that reminds me of him, in addition to still having several toys, stuffed animals, books, and other things I loved as a kid. The nostalgia around them and the fact that they are still here after all these years have been incredibly comforting to me through the humongous changes I’ve encountered since entering adulthood. Life can be difficult and painful, so why not embrace what makes it easier and lighter?