Family History, Musings

Nostalgia can be a seductive liar

Suzanne

Past images draw us in seductively before we are aware of it happening; we are reminiscing and perhaps wishing that we were back in the day of that event. However, it becomes a nostalgic lie, as it’s never quite as grand or glorious as we remember it.

Here are a few stories attached to these pre-digital images.

Back in the day – The 1980s

A horse and I are not a common combination, with good reason

Appearances can be deceptive, looking confident astride that horse.

I wish. As I wasn’t confident that day. I’ve never been confident on horses, and I’ve been on a few over the years. I was trying to create another narrative between myself and this latest horse. It wasn’t to be. They’re too intelligent and not easily misled; they instinctively know when a rider is not confident, and they’re going to be in charge. When trotting ahead, this particular horse ended our relationship by it’s sudden stop and lowering its neck. Slowly but surely, I was on the ground. Not a dignified way of dismounting a horse. To this day, I admire them from a distance and with my feet firmly planted on the ground.

Other family members, such as my lovely Mum and niece, have a fondness for these majestic animals.

Mum astride her horse, wearing gumboots and holding the family cat
Mum, a few years older and looking very professional at a Gisborne showjumping event
She, too, looks very professional, and both were rewarded at a horse show jumping event

Back in the day – late 1990s

Grade 5 – White Water Rafting down the Wairoa River

I am the adventurer (and always will be), wearing a striped top, with two nursing friends (what is it about nurses and being led astray) in front. And yes, I have spent years saying how much fun we had. Of course, we did, though, going by my expression, a mixture of laughter and terrified grimacing. There is more to the story than I have told.

After the above photo was taken, there was talk about me, with some preferring to climb a rock face rather than head down another long waterfall. This rafting expedition was classed as a Grade 5, the toughest it gets. Of course, friends omitted the Grading when enticing me to join them. They were nurses from Ireland, and out to do as many adventures as they possibly could. I came along for the ride.

I was keen as mustard.

Little did I know what was ahead of me that day.

Remarkably, we all wore jeans; water sports and jeans are frowned upon now for obvious reasons.

The hesitation and wanting to climb a rock face instead of cascading down another waterfall was due to having slammed my face into the instructor’s helmet on the previous waterfall. Eventually, resigning myself to what fate had in store, we all paddled onwards. At least my cheek became numb; the bruising resulted in a dramatic black eye, and it was to be a fun icebreaker for the night’s shenanigans. I will keep the night’s details to myself, though I remember it was one heck of a night out as we were riding high on adrenaline from another adventure.

Oh, to be 30+ years younger, no thanks. I won’t be seduced by nostalgia again, or will I?

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Published by Suzanne

I'm a lover of creativity and movement, expressed through photography, words, travel and sports. . . . . . .

27 thoughts on “Nostalgia can be a seductive liar”

  2. Nostalgia is a heady drug. It’s a hard call for me. I would like to have my running legs again but the price of that would be not learning what I learned or seeing things in the way I to which I was forced to adapt. I dunno… 🙂 I love the photos, though.

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    1. Yes, it is difficult when we can no longer participate in a sport we once loved. For me, there is always an alternative. Just never give up staying fit. Pleased you enjoyed the photos 🙂

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  5. Sometimes looking backwards brings on wistfulness and sadness that those days are gone. Your photos show the fun you had back then, and your blog posts show you are just as fit and lively today, I’ll bet you could still tackle some of the activities. 🙂

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  8. We do tend to forget some of the bad when we take a backward glance. I have no illusions about wanting to relive my earlier years, with the exception that I wish I had taken life a bit less seriously. It’s a trap I still fall into at times. Rafting and horses do have their fraught moments and physical impacts! I’ve definitely been there.

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  10. Oh yes, we all have those stories we tell about past events, omitting some details that might make them seem less wonderful! I’m glad you took the plunge and shared the stories behind the photos 😀

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  12. Go on, indulge, you know you want to! I too, fall victim to remembering past events through rose-coloured glasses and only ever admitting to the fear and the terror (sometimes) to myself. Occasionally, I’ve been known to suggest it may have been less fun than I have described but a casual laugh and a toss of the head can dispel any doubts in the listener’s mind. I then I think “You’re a liar, Marie, and ne day you’ll be found out”!

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