feeling nostalgic: vhs tapes and 00s media

Before there was YouTube, there were blank VHS tapes. In my younger years, much of my time was spent setting the VCR to record all sorts of television specials and shows. Instead of heading out to the movie theater with friends, many of my evenings were spent recording music videos and interviews on The Hit List and Much Music. I was always saving as much content as possible. Back then (and even now) it seemed important to record things so I could hold onto different moments. So I could watch and rewatch media that meant something to me. Confession: I still have all of my old VHS tapes, and lately, I have been choosing a few VHS tapes at random to watch. The nostalgia is beautiful, painful, and magical, all at the same time. 

There are stacks of VHS tapes hidden away in an ottoman with storage inside. There are VHS tapes on shelves. Some in baskets. Though my husband has asked me to consider throwing away these old recordings...it seems impossible. Each one has an assortment of old media that makes me smile. My younger self was far more organized than my current day self, so each VHS tape details what has been recorded. I feel nostalgic about the hours I spent organizing my beloved VHS collection, writing the labels and searching the TV Guide for upcoming programming. Media has been a good friend to me over the years. It has been a beautiful source of inspiration and escape. Watching these old tapes has allowed me to remember who I used to be. 

I watch old episodes of Top of the Pops and suddenly remember being in high school, placing international orders at HMV. These days, it is possible to order CDs online from other countries, but back then, I had to place an order at a physical HMV location and wait a month for a CD to be shipped to the store. (Once when I was waiting for a Gareth Gates CD to arrive, I was so impatient that I created a countdown chart on my wall.) I watch recordings of World Idol and remember how angry I was at the results back then. I watch Clay Aiken interviews and think about all of the times my mom and I went to see him in concert or on Broadway. I think about so many beautiful experiences that seem to have slipped my mind as the years have passed. 

On the surface, these VHS tapes are collections of assorted media from the 00s. Movies, television shows, interviews, music videos, and even New Years Eve countdowns. But these recordings mean so much more to me. They hold memories of times that have passed and memories of who I used to be. With so much uncertainty in present day, it feels especially wonderful to remember a time when all of my loved ones were healthy and my biggest concern was whether or not a music video I liked would be number one on a local countdown show. In many ways, life was smaller back then. I miss the simplicity. 

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What makes you nostalgic? Do you like watching old media from when you were growing up?