I Once Was Miss America, The Power of Nostalgia

One of the most powerful and overwhelming feelings for me without a doubt it nostalgia. Whenever something reminds me of things I did throughout my childhood I get flooded with happiness and have often wondered to myself if things were really as good as they seemed. Gay's writing and the nostalgia she experienced when new Sweet Valley High books came out, along with her realization that her childhood was not the happiest but seemed full of joy in hindsight when encountering things that reminded her of the things she so dearly enjoyed is almost the same way certain things from my childhood make me feel. I didn't deal with a lot of the difficult things Gay did as a child, but that's not to say there weren't hard times. Hindsight and nostalgia combined together overshadow some of the darker times and connections to places where happiness is most prevalent reshape the way things are remembered. Reading what Gay had to say about finding a shelter and escape through literature resounded with me because I was an avid reader for a large part of my childhood, and I then thought of all the things I missed most. Nostalgia is so bittersweet, feelings of happiness accompanied with a slight sadness that things can never be exactly the same. I long for the days of climbing trees, racing through books, and the pure joy I experienced.