Nostalgia is a powerful emotion. It can come over us in a large wave, taking over whatever we’re currently doing. That’s like a Proustian moment, or more importantly, an Anton Ego in Ratatouille moment. You take a bite of food, smell a smell, hear a song, feel a feeling that immediately sends you back in time. One moment you’re eating a Madeline in 2025, and the next you’re a kid in the south of France on holiday in the Riviera.
One moment you’re listening to «Club Can’t Handle Me» by Flo Rida because it came up on shuffle on Spotify, and the next you’re at a 7th grade dance, nervous to ask your crush to dance with you. One moment you’re smelling perfumes in the perfume aisle, the next you’re getting scolded by your SAT tutor for missing a reading comprehension question. Sense memories are beyond powerful, but it’s important we don’t let them overtake us.