Craving Nostalgia: Human Films, Jam Dot Cookies and the Fight to Stay Connected

Odessa A’zion, Me, Annabella Sciorra and Emily Bader from Fresh Kills

Oh, the days of “Do you know where your children are?”
If you grew up in the 80s/90s, you most likely know what that is.

If you don’t—it was an actual commercial that would flat-out ask parents if they knew where their children were.

Because yeah—they had no idea. We were out. Up in trees. Playing OUTSIDE—what a concept.

For me, I was playing kickball in the streets of Brooklyn. Hanging out and getting into way too much trouble that no one ever knew about. Why? Because—we were free then. Free to be kids. To play. And to mess up. Mess up without it being displayed or pushed neatly into an algorithm.

We weren’t “performing” our lives for anyone. We were just living them.

I was scrolling the other day—doomscrolling, really. You know the kind. The insanity we’ve all made part of our day now. And a trending sound on TikTok came on my page.

It was the Madonna song, Live to Tell, from the '80s—and Gen Xers were all over the comments section. Post after post—people, some with tears in their eyes—all saying how deeply they missed the freedom and the simplicity of that time.

Photo by Eric Nopanen on Unsplash

It made me so sad to see how deeply we are craving to reconnect. And trying to do so through our screens. With all of this technological evolution and advancement, we’ve dangerously lost something—ourselves and one another!

And the nostalgia that people were talking about wasn’t only from the music. The comments were filled with talk of the beloved movies from the '80s and '90s. The ones with heart, human flaws, from people that looked like people. Movies like The Breakfast Club, Say Anything, and E.T.

Movies that weren’t chasing algorithms. Movies that didn’t need to have that “star”—that 1 of 10 who can actually greenlight a film these days—which is why you see the exact same people over and over—and OVER again. The actors in the films also just looked like people—not polished and existing in a magic beauty filter gone awry.

As an actor and now filmmaker—but mostly as a viewer and a human—I miss those days too.

It’s why I decided to start writing in the first place. I needed to stop complaining about what I was seeing, and the lack of what I was seeing, and start creating the films that I wanted, that I needed—that we ALL need. Human stories that connect us and make us feel something again.

Emily Bader and David Iocono from FRESH KILLS

And I get it—why would anyone want to keep showing up right now? Especially in an industry that is so broken and in a world that’s even worse. You’d almost have to be a little crazy to keep going.

But—that’s exactly why you need to keep going!!

If you are one of those who SEE what’s going on and you are a creative—it is your JOB, your PURPOSE to keep doing so. It’s in these times when the artists rise. The artist tells the truth. The artist shows a way forward. Art is the single most important piece of hope we have at this moment. It has the ability to connect us in ways most everything else cannot. And connection is what is needed most.

How do we do it when literally EVERYTHING is telling you to stay down? Here’s what I’ve learned from my deep and quite serious PTSD from making my film Fresh Kills:

USE IT!
Use the pain, the fear, the rage, the hopelessness and throw it into the work. That’s what this page and EVERYTHING I do is about—that’s the true definition of A REBELLIOUS Life. Going forward anyway—even when you’re afraid. That’s your fight back.

Yes, go to the protests, sign the petitions and cut off the corporations—but more than that, you MUST start creating the world you want to see.

Because when you don’t—you are giving permission for others to do that for you. Furthermore, by ignoring what you KNOW in your heart and what you want, you silence what your gut is screaming about—that’s when depression, hopelessness, and even illness show up.

And I’ve been there.

I’ve lived through illness, depression, heartbreak, rejection and then some. And I can tell you this with absolute certainty:

Neglecting your inner voice and not speaking up about what is gnawing at you will make you sick.

But following it, honoring it, and putting it into your work—will save your life.

That will connect you back to the human experience—for yourself and everyone around you.

So yeah, I miss the old days—

lil me

Watching Saturday morning cartoons, baking cookies with my sister, and putting on Caddyshack with my cousin for the 100th time.

But I believe we can get back there. In a new way. A better way. And now—it’s vital to do so.

So bake these cookies (always gluten-free, vegan), go watch some cartoons—and then get to creating the world you want to see again.

xxx

Jen

NOSTALGIA JAM DOT COOKIES RECIPE -

1 TBSP FLAX OR CHIA SEEDS MIXED WITH 2 1/2TBSP OF WATER

1 BANANA ( VERY RIPE)

1/3 CUP NUT BUTTER OF CHOICE - ( I USED PEANUT BUTTER)

1 TBSP OIL OF CHOICE

3 TBSP COCONUT SUGAR (LOWER GLYCEMIC SPIKE)

1 TSP VANILLA

2 TSP BAKING SODA AND BAKING POWDER

1/2 SALT

1/CUP OF ALMOND FLOUR OR HAZELNUT FLOUR

1/2 CUP OF CASSAVA FLOUR

1/4 ARROWROOT STARCH

1/2 CUP OF JAM OF JOICE- I USED RASPBERRY

(YOU CAN ALSO ADD SOME MELTED CHOCOLATE OVER THE TOP OF DIP HALF THE COOKIE IN THEM-OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Instructions

PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 DEGRESS.

LINE A BAKING SHEET WITH PARCHMENT PAPER AND SET ASIDE.

• IN A SMALL BOWL, COMBINE CHIA/FLAX WITH WATER AND SET ASIDE TO THICKEN

• IN A LARGE BOWL COMBINE BANANA, NUT BUTTER, OIL, COCONUT SUGAR, VANILLA, BAKING SODA AND BAKING POWDER- COMBINE

• ADD CHIA/FLAX MIXTURE - COMBINE

• THEN ADD YOUR FLOURS

• YOU CAN MIX WITH A WOODEN SPOON THEN GET IN THERE WITH YOUR HANDS AND ROLL INTO BALLS.

• THEN TAKE THE BACK OF A TSP AND PRESS INTO THE CENTER TO FOM A WELL FOR THE JAM.

• BAKE FOR 15-20 MIN.

• LET COOL THE DIP IN CHOCOLATE IF YOU WANT- OR JUST DEVOUR THEM.

• ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!