Nostalgia: How a Retrospective Look at the Past Can Influence One's Future by Brendan

Nostalgia: How a Retrospective Look at the Past Can Influence One's Future by Brendan - February 2014 Scholarship Essay

“The past always seems better when you look back on it than it did at the time. And the present never looks as good as it will in the future.” This line from the classic novel Jaws by Peter Benchley is a comment on the human tendency to plan for the future and look back on the past. Some people have their entire lives planned out in their smartphones, and many have electronic to-do lists that digitally delineate their next move. Moreover, others love looking back at the golden days of years past. While I am guilty of frequently looking towards the past and future, I mainly aim to live in the now.

Time is fleeting and when I look back at years past, I began to take for granted quotidian experiences that at one time, seemed uneventful. The quote from Jaws especially resonates with a high school student like myself. As I reminisce of my grade school days, I am overwhelmed with such vivid, joyful memories that I wish I could relive just once. At the time, however, I wished for nothing more than to graduate from the eighth grade and began my high school career.

I have been able to understand with greater depth the true meaning of the quote as my high school years have progressed. Though I have not yet completed my junior year, some days walking the halls fills me with a pseudo-nostalgic feeling that I am reminiscing on an experience that I have not completed yet.

As cliché as it may sound, I have really began to appreciate all of the minor experiences and people that surround my life on a day-to-day basis. The second half of the quote – “And the present never looks as good as it will in the future,” – struck me as a universal truth that we never seem to take advantage of the plethora of opportunities available in the present. The quote has influenced me to trust in the future and enjoy the moments of present day.

Before I know it, I will be knocking on the door of my freshman dorm room, and suddenly I will be in awe over how quickly the time has passed. The last two years of high school can be a stressful time, filled with standardized test taking and planning of college visits. What I hope, however, is to have no regrets from my high school experience. I aim to do this by capitalizing on every opportunity presented to me and living my life to the fullest over the next two years. Though I think the statement made by the quote still may hold true for myself, I can only hope to be cognizant of how wonderful the present is while I am still experiencing it.