There’s an old saying, “Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be.”  Of course, the phrase pokes fun at the elevation of long retired values and norms as being somehow more desirable than the reality we’re currently living.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately as I visited Cleveland with some friends, coming home to Chicago just in time for the Democratic National Convention.

We decided to travel to the city on the shores of Lake Erie as an excuse to catch a couple baseball games in a park other than Wrigley Field, enjoy getting lost in a very walkable city that has been revitalizing its downtown, visit the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and catch the Football Hall of Fame in nearby Canton on the way back to Chicago

In other words, we were up to be tourists going on a nostalgia tour.

The plan was to drive on the toll roads straight to Cleveland where we would park downtown, have a sandwich and local brew then walk to Progressive Field.

The following day was to feature visits to some local attractions, capped off by a second game then leave for a more leisurely ride home along historic Lincoln Highway the following morning.

I was insistent on getting tickets for two games, believing we’d have a better chance of winning at least one. (Alas, my beloved Cubbies did not hold up their end of the plan.) My two travel companions advised the Football Hall of Fame would make a great first stop the next day.

We enjoyed our visit to the Rock Hall of Fame. I loved seeing an outfit worn by Jimi Hendrix, watching newsreels of the Beatles coming to America, seeing timelines charting musical influences like branches of a famiy tree on Ancestry.com. And the busts and plaques of when different artists were inducted triggered thoughts about cultural history in a fun way.

This was perfect preparation for next day’s stop to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Quite a few Chicago Bears were just inducted the week before and there were special displays.

I loved downtown Cleveland. I loved how most things were in walking distance and how there was a lot of re-purposing of wonderful old buildings. The Arcade Building, built in 1890, now looking for new tenants, was once America’s first indoor shopping center. The Cleveland Trust, opened in 1908, featuring a beautiful Italian-designed glass domed ceiling, is now Heinen’s Downtown, a family owned and operated grocery store.

Just off the Lincoln Highway, we stopped at a gas station that we found in Trip Adviser. Not of major historical significance except that it sported an original “dinosaur” sign for Sinclair Oil and a repair shop full of old cars and memorabilia. I’m sure they saw a lot of visitors.

When I think of the power of nostalgia, the lure of going back in time, of course, I have to think about how Donald Trump has used the idea to sell untruths and limitations. The whole MAGA movement is predicated on the premise that we need to return to yesteryear.

Was America ever great? Innovative and full of promise, yes, but great? It all depends on who you ask.

The 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote, was not ratified until 1920. The Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964 and still discrimination is the norm in many places. Marriage equality continues to be an ongoing battle and the median income of women is still about eighty percent of what men take home.

The week after I returned from my nostalgia tour, I made an impression on my couch where I sat four consecutive nights and watched TV coverage of the DNC. I took heart in what Michelle Obama said, HOPE IS MAKING A COMEBACK.

Returning to a bygone era is not the answer to anything. It might give some a short-lived high, like a rush of sugar does for a kid that seems to be all played out, but it is confining and works against hope and progress.

Living in the past is not the way to solve today’s problems. We need to look at the world with clear eyes and not let the past distract us from possibilities, from new ideas and new perspectives.

One of my favorite quotes is from French poet, Paul Valery. “The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up.”

Understanding that the past is a nice place to visit but that NOW is where I choose to live is no small thing.