Remember when...

This phrase crops up again and again in conversation as I enter my anecdotage

 

It is with a certain sense of incredulity that I have to report that I’ve reached the RW stage of my life, when the phrase ‘Remember When’ crops up so often in conversation that I have no option but to capitalize it. I guess this is only to be expected when you have lived so long that you have more yesterdays than tomorrows, and looking back into the past appeals more than gazing into the future.  

 

The epiphany first struck when I was at dinner with old friends on a recent trip to London. We were eating at a lovely restaurant where the food was amazing but instead of concentrating on that, we were merrily going down memory lane and discussing legendary meals that we had had in the past. Remember when we went to that amazing Japanese restaurant in Delhi…remember when we ate at that barbeque joint in Seoul…remember when we had that astonishing biryani…remember when…

 

Remember When. That’s the phrase that punctuates all my conversations these days. Visiting my sister involves a whole series of Remember Whens. We may start off discussing what we did last week but before we know it, we are deep into Remember When mode. Remember when we went on that picnic to Botanical Gardens and I split hot tea on my white trousers…remember when we took a road trip to Agra from Calcutta and were stuck on the highway for two days…remember when I cried myself silly because I had slept through the bidaai at her wedding and couldn’t believe no one had woken me up…remember when…

 

It's much the same story with my girlfriends as well – at least, with those who go back a few decades. The slightest thing will set us off as we sit down to lunch or dinner, and we will soon be neck deep in nostalgia. Remember when we took a trip to the mountains to celebrate the New Year as a new millennium dawned…remember when we danced all night long to celebrate a milestone birthday and I broke the heel of my brand-new stiletto…remember when we ended up having 38 cocktails between us as we tried to perfect our version of a margherita…remember when…

 

But never is this phrase more used than with my husband. At home, cooking dinner for ourselves, talk will inevitably turn to when we first experimented with chilli con carne in the kitchen, or made our first version of carbonara. A walk around Lodi Garden will become an occasion to remember when we shot author pictures for my first book cover here. A trip to Khan Market’s middle lane will remind us of many lovely winter evenings spent eating kebabs at a now-defunct shop. Even sitting on the couch at home, watching Netflix, has the potential to become a RW moment, when an old movie that we watched long ago pops up.

 

Similarly, travels around the world have become an endless series of RW moments. A visit to Bangkok will evoke many memories of our initial visits to the city when we lived in a hotel whose sprawling lawns have since been converted into a bustling mall. Walking in St James’ Park in London and gazing at the bulk of Buckingham Palace in the distance will remind us of the time we fell asleep on a park bench after a boozy lunch in our misspent youth. Strolling through the streets of Venice on a sunny day will bring us back to the first time we visited La Serenissima in the dead of winter. No matter where in the world we go, our conversation will be peppered with ‘Remember When’.

 

I guess I just have to accept that while I haven’t entered my dotage quite yet, I am now solidly in the middle of my anecdotage. And reminiscing about days past brings me as much pleasure as the original events did. After all, what better way to stave off old age than by reliving your youth every which way you can?