Nostalgia

This has been a big week for nostalgia.

Last weekend Metafilter directed me toward Choice of Broadsides, a browser implementation of a choose your own adventure game. In this case, you play a young officer in the Albion navy fighting against Gaul. If you have ever read the Hornblower Saga, you will easily navigate through the game. (Although there are some paths you can take which seriously warp C.S. Forester's vision.) Consequently, I have started the task of rereading the entire Hornblower Saga, and I am currently up to Hornblower and the Hotspur.

On Tuesday morning I received e-mail from my college roommate. He was in town, and we were able to get together. It was the first time I have seen him in 16 years. I met him almost 30 years ago. We spent the whole dinner talking about our kids, which is not something either of us envisioned in 1982.

Friday, May 4th was the 28th anniversary of the day I met Jess. The weather was very similar, but this year she did not wear a spaghetti strap dress in 50 degree rainy weather, and we did not dance to Michael Jackson (or even Billy Idol). We haven't had the opportunity to go out to eat to celebrate this milestone, but if we do, we will end up talking about our kids, cats and dog. This is not something I envisioned in 1984.

I also pulled some old text books from 24 years ago off the shelf this weekend. I am working through some analyses at work, and I find myself doing serious math again. I love tackling a real math problem. This is what I envisioned in 1988.

A few weeks ago I reestablished contact with a woman I knew in Junior High School. In the process of catching up with what has happened over the past 30 years, I realized that I was essentially writing blog posts about what I am interested in and what I am doing. This made me feel nostalgic for this blog, which was my last attempt to contemplate these sorts of things.

I started this blog to step through ideas and events that were important to me. Then it was prompted by my daughter's graduating from college and my son completing his first year of high school. This time it is prompted by my son graduating from high school and preparing to go to college. I just told my daughter that when something major happens in my life, I either switch jobs or start writing blog posts. This time the blog posts won.

As before, I am trying to write down the questions and ideas that occur to me. I am trying to organize my thoughts and my life into a pattern that shows how my existence can be a net positive for the world. As before, I can't vouch for the originality or importance of my thoughts. As always, I appreciate any insight you have to offer. (Grammarians, please be gentle.)