Photo Challenge: Nostalgic . . .
Dalton, MN
Do you remember Skelly gas stations? Maybe not one quite as old as this photo (gas price $ 0.175), but maybe the sign? I have a foggy memory of them. There was one about a mile from our house when I was growing up. My dad preferred this particular station probably because he knew the owner. I also remember stopping at others on our way “up north” to the cabin every weekend while I was growing up. (the cabin was 250 miles north of the twin cities and is where I live now)
This particular picture was taken in a small “nostalgic” town that has been set up with old buildings to create a small historic town tourist can visit in central Minnesota. It was closed when I was there but I could see the authentic insides when I peeked in the window as well. I heard that during the summer there will also be vintage cars “filling up”.
There is an interesting article on “Why We Get Nostalgic” at Science Friday. This paragraph from the article said it best for me …
“When you’re nostalgic about something, there’s a little bit of a sense of loss—[the moment has] happened, it’s gone—but usually the net result is happiness,” says Clay Routledge, a social psychologist at North Dakota State University, who, with several other researchers, has studied the emotion extensively over the past decade. The team has found that nostalgic memories typically entail cherished, personal moments, such as those spent with loved ones. Those memories, in turn, inspire positive feelings of joy, high self-regard, belonging, and meaningfulness in life.
I have not thought about a Skelly gas station since I was extremely young … Only seeing this restored station allowed me to recall any of those old memories and even the name of the gas station my dad liked.
Dad and me (seeing popcorn for the first time)
There is a lot of nostalgia in my life this summer. First, I took on a huge project to save the family photos. Old instamatic film and early color prints fade A LOT … especially if they were ever hung in a frame on the wall exposed to lighting. I have been amazed at how well Photoshop has been able to bring at least some color back. However, as I go through all of the family photos (scanning them to create digital versions and then trying to recover the ones that have faded to almost nothing with Photoshop) … I am reliving my life through all the memories the pictures bring back.
First fishing trip
Another cause for nostalgia are my visits to see my dad in the nursing home. He has been debilitated and sick from strokes and heart failure for numerous years and is on year three of nursing home life with dementia that is slowly taking over. Some days he can talk and knows where he is and what is going on. But, more and more often he does not. Instead, he will sometimes be re-living an event from back in the 60’s and early 70’s. Which is interesting .. but, confusing because he jumps back and forth through time. There are also the bad days when he just is not there at all … nostalgia. Sadness at seeing him like this that turns into the realization that my dad is still bigger than life in my memories and I see his influence in me and my life everywhere I look.
Bear in Mind 
Sad about your Dad, but it’s wonderful that your memories are good ones!
Yes, I am glad the memories are good, too … my dad and I were/are very stubborn and we butted heads quite often.
I do not remember the Skelly gas stations, bearyweather. Do you remember the Sinclair stations that had a huge green dinosaur out front? Those bring back nostalgia. As for your dad’s failing, it is so sad. My dad is failing, too, although he’s still at home. So much nostalgia… Blessings, my friend.
Yes, Kathy, I remember Sinclair but not the dinosaur … Sinclair stations with their green signs are still around (at least in my area). One of the toughest parts of getting old is watching our parents and older family members deteriorate and leave us .. the sad part of life.
I don’t remember Skelly gas stations. I’m sorry about your dad. Dementia is a terrible thing, I think. My mother-in-law had it, and watching her lose her memories over the years was difficult, especially when she got to the point where she failed to recognize her children and grandchildren. So glad your memories are the kind that it’s nice to sort through once in a while. 🙂