I bump into it now and then at the motorcycle events; the guy who raced a couple times when he was a kid or rode back in college - say 50 years ago - and hasn’t straddled a saddle since then. But he has the hat, the shirt, the tats and all he can talk about is that time way back when. They don’t annoy me much; I look on them as I would someone fighting a terrible disease who probably isn’t going to make it. I listen, give them some understanding, and then just move along.
I fight this urge every damn day. Most frustrating. I DO NOT want to be that guy.
BTW, Did I ever tell you about the time I …
Yes. And sadly, it’s been with people that, at one time, were quite forward-looking. Now they no longer consider the future, just the past.
I’m 62 and I live every day with the hope that I have not yet experienced my greatest triumph. I’m doing a show next month (on Valentine’s Day!) that I hope will be my best, funniest, most entertaining show ever, one that really showcases my songwriting talent and technical expertise. So it might be all downhill after Valentine’s Day, or I might be so fired up I’ll wake up next morning thinking “My next show is going to be even better that that incredible experience!”
Your passion is still alive and well. I am the same way with my flight shooting hobby.
I think the secret is to continue pursuing your passions. I mean unless your passion is getting drunk, doing drugs and partying like you’re a college freshman. You also have to grow up.
For all his talk, how many times do we see Al Bundy even playing football in the show?
I played baseball at a major University in the 80’s. I played with and against future Major Leaguers, including one that is in the Hall of Fame. But that was so long ago. I played a couple of years in an over 30 league but had children and spent the next 20 years raising them. Last year I found out about a 50+ league (real hardball) and played last year and will again this year. That I’m proud of. Some of the guys are really good. We just play gently - we keep our spikes down and don’t run into guys on the basepaths. It’s so much fun for an old guy.
I hope we all recognize that there’s a difference between reminiscing about an event and constantly recounting that event. There are times when mentioning your science fair trophy in junior high fits right in the conversation. But if you find yourself frequently saying “That reminds me of the time I won the trophy at the science fair…” you’ve probably crossed the line.
Sorry, I should have said i knew him in the 1990’s. He died November 1, 1999.
On a professional level, it happens, too.
The AZ Diamondbacks won a World Series. A worthy accomplishment. But it was 16 years ago. They’ve never come close since.
But every year, there are numerous celebrations and special events and game giveaways and reminiscence TV specials, all about the victory, and it is all kind of sad in aggregate. There have been 16 winners since, among 11 teams. Someone wins the WS every year! It’s not that rare. 
But to the organization, it seems like it is the only thing that defines the team. They had their one glory day, and they’re gonna tell you about it forever.
My mother was saying the other day she had a friend who won’t shut up about high school; taking about what a big deal she was in high school is her favourite subject. The woman is 70 years old.
As to the example of a sports championship, I simply can’t agree that’s in any way analogous. A team’s championships should be celebrated. They’re part of the team’s history and a team’s history is a fundamental part of being a fan of the team; the story of the team is a big reason why it’s fun to cheer for it. And 16 years ago is, in professional sports terms, not very long ago at all.
Most people will accomplishing something in their lives after high school. If you don’t, you’re having a pretty shitty life. On a personal level, life is not zero sum; we can all accomplish things, and unless you get sick and die or something there’s really no excuse for getting to 40, 50, 60 years old and you biggest achievement still being when you were named homecoming queen. But for a sports franchise, it IS zero sum. Winning the Super Bowl means 31 teams will not win the Super Bowl. It’s mathematically inevitable that in any 15-year span most teams won’t win the championship, so there’s no shame in reminiscing about when they did.
Something similar to wallowing in past glories are those who get stuck in a time period. I see a lot of guys at our class reunion pick-nicks who show up with the old cars and still wear the same hairstyles. One particularly funny one involves some old nightclubs in my neighborhood. There were a bout 4 night clubs within a few miles of each other that used to attract the same clients. These were typically recent divorcees who were from about 40 to mid 50"s. Thirty years later the same clients are still showing up and many of them are pushing 80 or more. The women are still wearing the same big hair, a lot of the guys are wearing toupees. They tend to show up earlier and not stay very long but they still show up. These are nice dinner houses and have developed new clienteles over the years but it is still funny to go out for dinner and recognize these same faces and they can be seen there on a regular basis.
I know several people who fit this mold, though there’s one I went to high school with who is particularly interesting in that she went on to have more post-high school success than a large percentage of people in our graduating class. Yet she’s always bringing up “the good old days” and stuff that happened back then.
Incidentally, my high school’s 20-year reunion is coming up in about five months. I have no intention of attending. High school was a blast for me, but once was enough.
This sad little lizard told me that he was a brontosaurus on his mother’s side. I did not laugh; people who boast of ancestry often have little else to sustain them. Humoring them costs nothing and adds to happiness in a world in which happiness is always in short supply. – Robert A. Heinlein (as Lazarus Long)
I’ve witnessed this a number of times with women who left abusive (or otherwise very bad) marriages. Okay, if it happened last year, that’s one thing, but FORTY YEARS AGO and you’re STILL talking about it constantly? :smack:
Oh Malvolio, I did not recognize you with those cross garters. 
I don’t think this is the same sort of idea. Trauma often persists with survivors for the rest of their lives. The OP was talking about bringing past glory or good memories in a manner that is perhaps inconsistent with their stature. You are talking about people who survived something traumatic, even life threatening, and are still processing that.
Missed edit window:
I wanted to add, as examples of what I mean about past trauma, I will tell you about the F3 tornado that my family and I survived at the drop of a hat (trying say “tornado”). I will also tell you all about Loma Prieta if you sit still long enough. Northridge Earthquake? I wasn’t there, but my parents were very close to the epicenter. I’ll tell you all about what that day was like. Those are all very different memories than if I tell you about my SAT or GRE scores (and they were bigly ;)).
I rode out a tornado in a motor home, I have no idea how big or small it was. It destroyed the hard construction home right next door and mostly missed me, blew out widows and knocked it off the foundation. But it was one of the scariest things I have experienced.
If you’re still affected by it, you still talk about it. The thing about PTSD is your brain doesn’t care how much time has passed. When you’re traumatized, that thing that happened 40 years ago is neurologically happening all over again, right now.
I think it is due to so many adults living boring lives. No one grows up dreaming of driving a desk and working in accounts payable. They get married, crank out kids, and move to the suburbs and life grinds to a halt, with no perceived time to do anything new or fun. They’ll reminisce about backpacking in Europe 25 years ago during college when I tell them about my latest trip because their current trips consist of a few days of expensive hell at Disney with two kids that won’t stop fighting. They’ll talk about their motorcycle racing days because now they’re stuck with a minivan.