Story 7: All grown up

Picture it. Nebraska, Labour Day weekend, 2005. A young man ventures to his childhood stomping grounds near Omaha to attend the wedding of a family friend.
I was expecting Korean food at the reception and I was slightly disappointed. It was Italian. It was wrong of me to assume that the groom, being half Korean like me, would choose to serve Korean food at his reception. I, however, would not even pause to consider what food I would be serving. I believe that the reason I needed Korean cuisine at that moment had everything to do with nostalgia and longing for our large house parties with lots of food. I cannot remember my family having our large parties since leaving Nebraska over ten, wait, fifteen years ago. Why did I need some comfort food? The groom, a year younger than me, found his mate. The groom, a childhood playmate and “cousin” was an adult at the next stage of life. Unfortunately or fortunately, when my cohorts go through their rites of passage, I follow along with them, figuratively or vicariously, and I must recognize that I am older and time is passing quickly.

The other significant part about growing and returning to one’s small town roots, is how everything looks smaller. The houses, the malls, the steps, the big brothers and high school football and baseball players who were larger-than-life role models now balding and shorter.

Either way, it was comical watching the Korean members of the large wedding crowd queue for the Italian buffet.