Nostalgia, One Year In

I, too, feel nostalgic for a time many years back, a time before the advent of cellphones, when waiting was a social activity. When the moment we had unscheduled alone time, we didn’t evacuate the premises, flee to texts or email or social media. Being even six feet away from strangers feels like an odd privilege now, and it feels wasteful to allocate our attention elsewhere when there’s so much to be gained from nods of acknowledgment, small talk, seeing one another and being seen.

A reader recommends.

Lisa N. Finder of New York City spent a day without screens and wrote a poem about the experience:

For 24 hours I looked at no screens.

Off work; no appointments

So I had the means.

I’ve had many headaches from reading messages galore.

So I decided I’d be a slave to email no more.

I’ve lacked sustained concentration,

another source of my frustration.

Plus my online activity

no doubt explains my proclivity

for reading less. That takes a toll!

You see books feed my soul.

P.S.

Tell us.

What are you experiencing cultural nostalgia for lately? Is it laughing with your fellow audience-members at the movies? Is it something from long before the pandemic, like phone-free bars and restaurants? Is it video rental stores? Tell us: athome@nytimes.com . We’re At Home . We’ll read every letter sent. As always, more ideas for leading a good life at home appear below. See you on Friday.



Source : food

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