Nostalgia : A yearning for the past, or a longing to go back to a particular period in time. There can be happy thoughts of the past but nostalgia often creates melancholy feelings knowing that the past is gone. Nostalgia has been related to sailors at sea having a strong feeling of homesickness to the point of being ill and even dying.

When I (Mark) think of nostalgia I think of happy times of my childhood, family vacations, the music of my youthful years, friends from high school and college, meeting my wife for the first time, the birth of my three children and many other memories. I often think it would be cool to be able to pick out periods in time and go back for a few hours and experience those moments again. I recently saw a picture of my three children standing outside our house the day my middle son Ryan was getting ready to get on the school bus for the first time. His brother Brett and sister Caitlyn were standing outside with him as he was anticipating this experience. How great it would be to go back there and be in that moment again. That was a happy time but it causes a feeling of sadness knowing that it has come and gone.

What makes you feel nostalgic? For many it is the soundtrack to your life at the time. For me it is the sound of Peter Frampton playing on the school PA system in the high school lunch room. His album “Frampton Comes Alive” became the biggest seller in live rock album history at the time selling over 10 million copies. Every time Peter comes to town to play a concert, I am there because I love hearing him play the music from my youth. This has almost become nostalgic for my children as well since I drag them along with me each year. They are probably a little sick of it but I have the feeling it already brings back good memories for them as we bond and hang out together listening to a great guitar player.

I tried to think of some things that make me feel nostalgic and came up with a list of 10.

1. Black and white TV.
2. 8-track tapes
3. Popcorn cooked in oil in a pan
4. Walking to school (2 miles in the rain and snow and we liked it that way!)
5. Cartoons only on Saturdays
6. 4 TV channels to choose from
7. Pez candy dispensers
8. The Fonz saying “sit on it”
9. The Ford Pinto ( I actually had a Ford Pinto Wagon! How pathetic!)
10. Chuckles Candy (now the official candy of The Retirement Guys)

Being too nostalgic can be dangerous. If all we do is long for the past we will not be able to enjoy the present. We will not be able to pay attention to things that need to be addressed now like planning for and enjoying retirement. The title of our previous column was “Things Ain’t Like They Used To Be.” The Retirement Guys feel that since things are different now, we are at a critical moment in time that makes it necessary to pay close attention to what is going on in the world and take certain steps to insure a happy and relaxing retirement. It used to be that, like my Grandfather, you could work for a corporation your entire career and know you would have a secure retirement. It is very common now to see folks out of work mid career. This is why it is important to pay close attention to your retirement planning. There is a difference between investing your money and creating a real plan with purpose that is based on time frames, risk tolerance, current age, etc. Even though we often think things today are not as good as they were in the past, we still need to live in the present. There is still an exciting world out there and there is a lot of living yet to do. Get out there and create great memories that you can be nostalgic about later. One way to help you stay on track is to visit www.retirementguysnetwork.com and request a free copy of “11 Biggest Retirement Mistakes To Avoid.” Nolan and I would like to know what you feel nostalgic about. Post your thoughts online with us at www.ToledoFreePress.com.

For more information about The Retirement Guys, tune in every Saturday at 1 PM on 1370 WSPD or visit www.retirementguysradio.com.  Securities and Investment Advisory Services are offered through NEXT Financial Group Inc., Member FINRA / SIPC.  NEXT Financial Group, Inc nor its representatives provide tax advice.  The Retirement Guys are not an affiliate of NEXT Financial Group. The office is at 1700 Woodlands Drive, Suite 100, Maumee, OH 43537. 419-842-0550

Tags: Business Link, Retirement Guys

This entry was posted on Friday, March 25th, 2011 at 6:31 am and is filed under Retirement Guys, Toledo Business Link.
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