As I get older, I can't help but think about my childhood. When I do, I think about things like Fruitopia, Kids WB, and Disney Adventure magazines.
I'm a 90s baby, and these are some of the things I was exposed to growing up in the 2000s. Thinking about these things, along with other parts of my childhood, makes me tear up sometimes.
These moments make me realize how powerful the feeling of nostalgia truly is.
If you've ever thought back to something in your past that you enjoyed, you'll most likely experience a bit of nostalgia. These days, it seems everyone is willing to let it be known that they've got nostalgia for their childhood.
For instance, I've been out in public and seen people my age with the iconic "Kim Possible" beeper sound as their ringtone. This sounds cliche, but hearing that sound takes me back to a simpler time. I just can't help but smile when I hear it. I also can't help but tear up a little, because I know I'll never be able to go back to that time period.
When we're kids, sometimes we don't take the time to appreciate the things we have while we have them.
I think that's what helps nostalgia be such a powerful feeling. As a kid, I hated commercials and just wanted to watch my favorite shows. Now I find myself going to YouTube and watching commercial breaks from the 2000s just to remember what it was like to watch TV back then.
Nostalgia is also pretty powerful because it can affect your judgment.
I'm sure we all have our favorite movies and shows from our childhood that we loved when we were younger. Truth is, you probably haven't watched a lot of those shows since your childhood and only remember them as these amazing and hilarious things. In reality, that show you liked when you were in third grade is probably terrible.
I had one of those "what on earth" moments when I rewatched "Rocket Power." I know a lot of people grew up with it and loved it, but watching it now, I realized it's not a very good show. It panders way too much to kids that like extreme sports, and it feels like it was written by adults pretending to know what kids that skateboard talk like. It's not really funny either, and you know what? That's perfectly fine.
A show like this is was obviously made for 7-year-old me so I would go out and buy all the radical merchandise. It wasn't made for the cynical, sarcastic 21-year-old me. Any time I get reminded of "Rocket Power," I want to go back to when I first watched it because I'd love to experience it again for the first time.
