Reminiscing About Now

Q: Dear Schlomo, when I am at a bar or restaurant I see groups of girls who spend half the evening taking pictures of each other. Then they spend the other half looking at those pictures. Why do they feel the need to relive 2 minutes ago? Kindly, ALMOST FAMOUS, Vermont.

A: ALMOST FAMOUS, clearly you are a purist. You like your social situations uncut. No digital fillers and no technological shenanigans. Nothing but good clean discourse. A group of people at a bar watching television? Disgraceful! A clutch of teenage dudes each simultaneously listening to his own iPod? Filthy! Ok, so it is easy to be annoyed by those cackling groups of girls huddled around their digital cameras. They are like a sorry lot of un-celebrities forced to be their own paparazzi, right? Then again, maybe they are on to something. There is pleasure to be had by reliving the past, and noting beats reminiscing with the people who were there. If the past is only 2 minutes ago you can almost guarantee everyone who was there is still here! With a little practice you can make 2 mintues ago seem like the good old days.

ME: "Hey ALMOST FAMOUS, Remember that time you asked me about girls with digital cameras?"
YOU: ":("
ME: "Anyway, those were the good old days. I wish we could bring those days back."

See! Reminiscing about the moment before is legit. And once you unlock that capability you get all the pleasure of reminiscing with none of the waiting around for old age. It is instant gratification.

ME: "Hey ALMOST FAMOUS, Remember that time we were remembering the time when you asked me about girls with digital cameras?"
YOU: ":("
ME: "Anyway, those were the good old days. I wish we could bring those days back."

Then again, maybe they just do it because sharing pictures is a fun social activity that complements a night on the town.