Tuesday, April 19, 2005

Looking Back With Nostalgia

Ok, this has been on my mind for the last day or so: Are the eldest children the most nostalgic? Essentially, does a child that has been in the family longer than their siblings tend to remember the "good old days" more than the others? I do think that I'm in that category being the oldest of 4 children. I think about the early mornings getting up on weekends, stopping by Winchell's Donuts to pick up a dozen and head to Dad's tennis pro shop where I'd try to watch cartoons on a really small television. I remember when we were tired we would sleep under clothing racks so people would hardly notice we were there. (I wonder if I talked in my sleep back then too.) Anyhow, I do think some of those types of memories that are stuck in my head are precious but maybe I tend to dwell on them a bit more than my siblings. Where does nostalgia fall with your siblings?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm the youngest of three (two older brothers), but I think I remember more than they do. I'll tell my mom about things and she totally freaks out and say's "You can't remember that, you were like 2. There's no way!"

Thanks for this post, I'm gonna have to sit and reminisce with my brothers very soon.

Lily said...

I thought this was a trick question when I read it. I don't think birth order has anything to do with it. While the oldest will certainly have memories that pre-date the youngest I don't think it makes them any more or less nostalgic.

I'm the 3rd out of 4 kids, & the only girl.

Teri said...

I am the 2nd oldest of 4. Your post made me smile because of mentioning Winchell's Donuts. My dad, my brothers and I would always take a bike ride and we ended up at Winchell's almost every time. It is one of many happy memories I have. I feel very fortunate because, like you, I have a pretty normal family. I am not sure if the oldest is the most nostalgic, I think it just depends on the personality of each person. I know I do not remember many things that some of my siblings do, and likewise they do not remember many things I do. That is what makes it so great when you can sit around with your family and remember good times together.

Martin said...

Don't worry guys. This wasn't a test. This was just an observation from my perspective. From your input, I've gathered the point of view that we are all creatures that reminisce and hold different memories closer to our hearts making us a bit more nostalgic about particular moments than others.