Beware of the "nostalgia trap"....

Over the years, in conversations with an older generation, I have often been rather amused with how fondly they would recall memories of the war. On many occasions I have sat and listened to my elders wax lyrical about life during the war when there was a real sense of community and the so-called "Churchillian spirit". My head nods in acknowledgement but in my mind I'm thinking, "what the hell are they on about? How could anyone look back with fondness at a time when bombs were falling all around you, your kin are in some foreign fields risking life and limb, while relatives back home live off ration cards and black market prices". 
Here in the UK, these past few years I have seen many of our friends and neighbors fall victim to the nostalgia trap. Apparently, the UK was some kind of utopia resembling scenes from a Disney family movie before joining the European Economic Community as it was back in the early 1970s. The history I have studied paints a very different picture. I'm not so easily lured into the nostalgia trap, or so I thought until today at lunchtime.
Since we had nothing in the fridge to eat, Lily, (she who must be adored), and I went went up to the local supermarket. My plan was to pop in, grab a small bag-full of necessities to tide us over until we have more time to do the "big shop". An "in-and-out-job", or so I thought. But the traffic was unbelievable. There was a swarm of people queuing up to get into the store and the checkouts tills were ringing like slot machines on a grannies' day out at Cesar's Palace on the Vegas strip. 
As we sat in the car park, Lily writhing in joy at being in the passenger seat of the car, I began to think how much easier it was back in the day when we were all in lock-down and the supermarkets were empty and you never had any problem finding a parking space and you didn't have to battle your way through the checkouts and.................
Today's key learning: Nostalgia is a danger that can creep up on you, if you are not careful.........