People enjoy reminiscing about the past. Whenever that is a road trip taken over the summer with family, the first trip to the bar with friends, or a great cartoon that friends came over to watch, the “good old days” are important to reestablishing common ground with long unseen family and friends.

Yet at some point, obsessing over the past, be it people, a location, or an object can befuddle one’s mind to where it interferes with daily tasks. Eventually, a person must stop living for what happened many moons ago.

Many college students are familiar withthe national ethos “The American Dream." It says that in the United States, children grow up to find bountiful opportunities for work, buy a house, and raise a family. Etched into American culture, many assume naively that it will fall into place.

Unfortunately, many fail to realize that disappointments come before achievements. Often this comes in a life-altering mistake like an unplanned pregnancy or underestimating the work needed to maintain their parent’s prosperous lifestyle. As such, the person may re-vision the past, ignoring the horrible things that may have happened during their childhood. Nostalgia becomes an addicting drug.

That is not to say no one should think about old, great memories in moderation. The issue comes when a person retreats into prior memories — even subconsciously —when feeling jealous, angry, or sad. It comes in any shape but especially concerning is how it is often over material goods, particularly entertainment.

American culture increasingly focuses on the entertainment industry, producing some of the world’s cultural iconic figures. That means Americans —and arguably the world— are told that fictional characters are more important than even family and friends.

The attachment frequently comes in childhood, primed by being spoiled and not learning the value of hard work to earn something. Then when they see their peers on Facebook doing great things and see their lives lacking, they do not improve themselves. Instead, they dig up a grave, inserting not only their knees but their legs and wonder why they cannot open the door.

Popular literature, games, movies, and comics are not bad, but always distance childhood memories from reality.

If someone knows a person, a community, or a thing is interfering with their lives, they should reconsider their choices. This can be done by moderating the use of their products involved, cutting off contacts with certain people or things, or even removing oneself from the situation altogether. The last is the hardest but most efficient route.

Then, a person should look at how they can impact their community. It allows one to depart from a dying tree, infested by tightly wrapped vines, and plant a new seed that sprouts a new life.

It's fine to remember the past occasionally, just don't make it a focal point.