when gravitating towards nostalgia & sentimentally reflecting on "simpler" times, i do not by default consider those to be "better" in the way that many would. instead, i find myself occupying a space which represents the energy of an ephemeral sliver of time - limitations inspiring creative solutions out of necessity, and the evolution of those periods through the minds that steered cultural and technological progressions. in much the same way, i often prefer to revisit those all-too-short durations of time with the context of their constraints, and embed myself within for the purpose of occupying my own corner and exploring in my own directions.

ruminating on, say, an odd genre or collective movement of music with a very limited number of players in a given time - what could have happened if the artists still had more to say before moving on? what if things like the lack of commercial viability weren't an issue preventing more time and energy being given to it? were there any incomplete thoughts left behind that deserve an answer, even decades removed from being contemporary yet forward-thinking?

of course, i do just miss trends too. most recently i have thought about the visual design of the original imacs, and how i wished manufacturers (apple included, who have answered me with their new color imac designs) would return to fun, cute, pleasing over overtly crisp, sleek, and sterile. but then, that does send me on some deep dives... the pop culture surrounding those old computers, the way it changed the world and how we may still see it even 20 years later. i still think those styles have plenty more to say, at least within the framework of the modern day.

we should look to the past not to repeat, but to inquire & iterate.

so that brings us here?? gemini is indeed a mirror to one of those distant fragments of existence though which much of the modern day was built upon. i do not find myself wishing to return to something like this as a full time, exclusive method of communication and interaction. though i do not really care much for tweeting and tooting for their own reasons, i adore the modern web and the magic of rich, media-heavy presentation. i still keep irc installed and at the ready, but i'm almost exclusively on discord anymore. however... gemini does bring with it some unique challenges, sort of a way to enforce some self-restraint to weave meaningful, meditative musings. here the words are the forefront - minimal & unburdened. it is the deliberate nature of the format which excites me most, and i am eager to allow these thoughts a place to be free in a way no microblog nor chat room could serve in quite the same way.

-eleanor