Mitakuye Oyasin: December 2007

Before we get to the Christmas message, I would like to discuss something I heard today. I was listening to a recent audio magazine from Utah Phillips when he quoted Abbie Hoffman: "Nostalgia is another form of depression."

Now I had to ponder on this for a while and take a good look at myself. Because I do tend to go back in time and reference more revolutionary times within societies. And I have always thought of our turbulent history as a great tool or yardstick for measuring gains within society. Why? Because by looking back, I can pick and choose times within our struggles when the people actually made a difference and forced a necessary change within our social norms. I can look at what worked, what didn't work, and what could have worked if the people had focused more in another more pertinent direction. Is this considered "nostalgia"? I suppose it could be seen as such. But I really don't think in my case it could be considered a depression. I definitely wouldn't want to go back and relive my past, although I do consider many of those memories priceless. Both the good and the bad, because those times were my learning experiences and life lessons that have woven the threads of my entire being!

I tend to agree with author Margaret Barber who is known for her quote, "To look backward for a while is to refresh the eye, to restore it, and to render it the more fit for its prime function of looking forward." I think the key words here are "refresh and restore" and dwelling on anything I think can be detrimental to us frail human beings. As humans, we more easily adapt to, and handle things in small bytes where moderation is key. So now I've convinced myself I'm not in a state of depression from looking back occasionally on our history as a so-called "civilized society". Whew! Thank Gawd for the Internet where I can search until I find something written by somebody that can rationalize my actions and portray them as the actions of a sane human being! I am saved once again!

So now that we have that out of the way, and I've once again convinced myself that I am a normal human who is stable enough not to let nostalgia get such a strong hold on me that it would turn me into a depressed babbling old timer...I can now with a clear conscious share a historical Christmas message from the past. It is the season, and I can think of no better message than one of "Peace"! A message which should encompass our past, present, and our future thoughts! I don't find this historical event nostalgia at all, and it looks and sounds just as fresh now as it did back then.