Chapter 18: Exodus

Like ducks leaving a pool or geese going back to Canada, us children of the night must move on at some point.

For me, the move came nearly 4 years ago when it came time to leave SC4 for the greyer pastures of U of M Flint.

Over the summer I went to visit my friend Steve at Denny’s. He was back in town for a little while and I hadn’t seen him since the previous November. I alone sat in a corner booth meant for 7 or 8 people, waiting for Steve and possibly a feminine companion.

Steve arrived minutes after I did. It was around 11 pm and we didn’t leave until about 4 am. We chatted about dreams for writing and film, life, and all other topics that make Denny’s the place to go so that these feelings can be reconciled.

We were the only really talkative group at Denny’s that night. If it was 2003 we would be one of many. Now it was just us. There were a few trashy couples around, some kids, and once in a while some people our age would very briefly come around and sit. With such a lack of people around coffee refills came plentiful and often. Steve hitting on the waitress certainly helped as well.

It was at once sad and uplifting. Sad because, as previously stated, years ago the place would have been packed with our people. Even if we didn’t know them they were cut from a similar deep black cloth. Now there wasn’t anyone around that we knew to greet.

I’ve heard a theorem that states that at the age of 21-23 will leave Denny’s and cause an age gap. But people around 30 will gather there to relive the old days and catch up. I cannot say that I believe such an idea to hold true. Otherwise on any given night walking into the Denny’s it would be easy to talk to people and not feel like I’m looking down on the dregs.

I left when I had to. Some of my friends have left. Some are trapped in town for good reasons. Others are trapped because of their own devices. The girl I talked about in the last chapter falls into the latter and I feel sorry about her.

At no point during our roughly 5 hours in the same spot did Steve and I get told to move. There were no large groups coming in. Nobody stayed but for us. We had the place to ourselves and while it did have its perks it felt lonely. Is there someplace else we don’t know about? Do people have other places to go? Or do they sleep?

Of course, we all must recognize the time to move on. But I like to think that some traditions will carry on. Certain things must end and certain people must go but some traditions I think should survive. I was not part of the first generation of Denny’sens and I really do not wish to be part of the last generation. An article still passed out in SC4’s Newswriting course by Mr. Lusk is a story about a generation of Denny’s dwellers dating to the mid-to-late nineties. A similar drop in attendance happened but it did make a comeback.

I realize all good things must come to an end but they have to return once in a while.