The surprising way nostalgia can help us cope with the pandemic
Once considered a brain disorder caused by clanging cowbells, nostalgia is being embraced due to its psychological benefits in times of crisis.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, single mom Mary Widdicks has been cooped up at home with her three small children, three dogs, and three cats. After months of homeschooling while also working from home, she felt the days blending into each other. So in late May, Widdicks loaded the kids into her car and headed to the Harvest Moon Twin Drive-in, in Gibson City, Illinois. A long-time movie buff, Widdicks appreciated the break from cabin fever, as well as the venue’s 1950s vibe, complete with retro intermission breaks featuring a dancing hot dog.
“The first time I went to a drive-in, I was nine years old, exactly the age of my oldest now,” Widdicks says. “There was something
