The Nostalgia Project

Nostalgia appears to be a pastime for the retired.  My retired brother and a retired friend have both been researching their ancestors and reviewing old photographs from childhood. I have received some rear-view mirror emails from my brother, with memories of events I can scarcely recall, myself, even though we shared a childhood.  How boring nostalgia once seemed to me, as I listened to the seemingly endless stories of relatives when I was a child.  The hardships of grandparents, parents, aunts, and uncles, with their nuggets of well-earned wisdom seemed like burdens we children had to bear.

Since my retirement, I've been perusing old journals, scanning old photographs, and have even begun a genealogy project with my brother.  We wanted to uncover the truth about a few unlikely ancestors and our heritage. That project has also uncovered some rather uncomfortable memories of our shared past.  If nostalgia unsettles me, should I just let it go?  Does reviewing one's past have any purpose whatsoever, beyond needling our youth?