Classic rock on radio, "The Andy Griffith Show" on TV., G.I. Joe and Barbie at the toy store, Coca-Cola in its original bottle--is it the 1960s? No, it's the 1990s, and, in case you have not noticed, nostalgia is in. As midlifers dominate the American market, people want to remember and revisit their past.

Some social critics see this passion for nostalgia as mere temporary relief for adult anxiety. Others see it as escape: a mental flight to the past where cookies and milk and Mom made most hurts better. But nostalgia does more than this. It is a natural stabilizer in a changing world. Midlifers undergo a phenomenal amount of change, but our past does not change. Nostalgia brings the meaning of a static past to a fluctuating present. It helps give direction and hope to our future.

Yet most of us are not into nostalgia because it's good for us; we do it because it's fun. No pleasures are greater than those of an idealized past. So just in case you have not had enough, following are some suggestions for enjoying nostalgia.

If you have older kids living at home, how about a family night of memories? Everyone brings a treasured token from the past. The conversation centers on past favorites: vacations, pets, toys or holidays. Start things off with a supper dish no longer served.

Does your extended family have regular reunions? If not, perhaps you can plan one. Allow plenty of time for the seniors to swap old stories. On the 50th anniversary of D-Day, my family listened to an older generation tell how they experienced those momentous days. Children and grandchildren alike were spellbound.

After 20 years, you should attend all of your high school reunions. After this long, peers no longer come only to impress you with their successes. Most just want to renew friendships and relive memories. And high school and college reunions are not the only source for collective nostalgia. How about a reunion of old summer camp counselors, friends from a former job, church friends that have moved away, or other special friends that no longer see each other? If you are interested, probably some of your friends are, too. Give them a call.

Current friends who did not grow up together still share a common past. How about hosting a '50s sock-hop or a '60s-style dance? Ask guests to dress appropriately. For an ice-breaker, have everyone write down something they did in high school that current friends probably could not guess. Collect the papers, and guess who belongs with each description. A prize goes to whomever fools the most (How about a hoola hoop for a prize? Can the winner demonstrate how to work it?).

Of course, you also can spend a nostalgic evening alone. How about a night of Pink Panther or John Wayne movies? Or listen to the oldies' station while flipping through school yearbooks. Or get out the family photo album and enjoy your childhood legacy. Or write a letter to an old friend and bring them up to date on your life.

Nostalgia--I could write more, but I hear the TV in the next room, and Barney is about to do the "Nip it in the bud" speech on "Andy Griffith." Sorry, but I never miss it.