Are you having more “remember when” music conversations? You’re not alone.
[This was my weekly column for GlobalNews.ca. – AC]
Episode 15 of Season 6 of The Sopranos features a scene where Tony and Paulie are out for dinner with some friends. After Paulie’s endless stories about the old days, Tony becomes irritated and declares that “’remember when’ is the lowest form of conversation.” He then gets up and leaves in a low-level huff.
It’s understandable that some people find certain types of reminiscing annoying. They believe in living in the moment and looking forward to the future, not rehashing the past. Nostalgia was, in fact, a medical condition that described a particular kind of melancholy fused with sentimentality.
Things got quite melancholic and nostalgic for me on Friday night when I attended a reunion of dozens of people who worked in Winnipeg radio over the decades. These were mentors, peers and followers from a time when AM radio still played music and FM had time to play 20-minute album tracks. There was even a special session entitled “War Stories” where it was all “remember when.” Much time was devoted to those who are no longer with us.
It’s so easy to get lost in thoughts about “the good old days” when life was simpler and so many possibilities lay ahead. The older we become, the more we have conversations that include the phrase “remember when.”
