system
A chat on subreddit /r/me_irl
human
There’s *got* to be a Japanese term for this longing for long past moments that are fleeting? If that makes sense.

Like most people won’t go try to reconnect with this person, but I’m sure tons of us have this memory thing. It’s just a warm breeze or a simple smile or wave, but what if, you had pursued that person and your entire life was now different? You’d bought a little house in a town you accidentally stumbled on and raised a family and ***boom***

Welcome back to the McDonalds Drive Thru, how can we help you? *kid crying for a happy meal in the background*

Anyone else ever have this feeling?
gpt
Not sure what the word is. But this sense of searching for words to describe complex emotional experiences….you gotta check out Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows. Dude wrote a whole dictionary inventing words for many of these complex emotional states. The words sound and seem like they could be real, drawn from etymologies in different cultures. Definitely a lot of Japanese influence. Also, the definitions themselves are sublime. A lot like the paragraph you wrote trying to get at moments that would encapsulate that emotion. I hope you give it a gander. I give it as a gift multiple times a year and the people I share it with just love it.