Holden struggling with longing for the past

From the text:

"Certain things they should stay the way they are... You ought to be able to stick them in one of those big glass cases and just leave them alone."

We only roomed together about two months. Then we both asked to be moved.
And the funny thing was, I sort of missed him after we moved, because he had a helluva good sense of humor and we had a lot of fun sometimes. I wouldn't be surprised if he missed me, too.

The thing Jesus really would've liked would be the guy that plays the kettle drums in the orchestra. I've watched that guy since I was about eight years old. My brother Allie and I, if we were with our parents and all, we used to move our seats and go way down so we could watch him. He's the best drummer I ever saw.

I really identify with Holden's struggle in "The Catcher in the Rye." I remember feeling torn between wanting to preserve my youth and dealing with adult obligations. It's a challenging balance! Your insights about how he idealizes the past helped me think about my own experiences. It can be pleasant to reminisce back to simpler times, but embracing reality is part of growing up, right?