Chapter 21: Epilogue

Yeah, sorry about that hiatus. I had personal affairs to take care of and the blog suffered. I am now back for a little while with a little help from a friend.

Now, I put a close to the Denny's epic.

***

I remember when it finally came clear to me; I can recall that special moment of clarity after I hit rock bottom. It was so obvious; like a elephant in the room: Denny’s was an addiction.

I had gotten hooked on the every aspect of this place no matter what the cost. I used to spend all my money on greasy food and coffee and I seldom got enough sleep. Nothing seemed to matter as much as being there did. I had it: a greasy, nicotine stained monkey on my back. I guess that it started out innocently enough but soon snowballed into something far more sinister.

Just like any other addiction I had developed a tolerance over time. It started out small. I had to drink two cups of coffee to perk me up when the normal one cup would have done me fine. No big deal right? Refills are free so what’s it going to hurt? Soon I was slamming down their caffeinated mud quicker than water.

I had also developed a tolerance for other parts of the Denny‘s experience. I could now slam down cold fried cheese that would gag a sow and keep a grin on my face the whole time. Second hand smoke didn’t bother me much anymore and I couldn’t smell it nearly as often.

Then I moved away.

I found myself living in Detroit, with no 24 hour diners nearby. My friends had no interest in sipping coffee until 4 in the morning anymore, and my job really wasn’t conducive to staying out that late. My body began to go back to normal.

I remember going back there about a year ago and sitting down in a booth alone. I didn’t really know anyone else there, I just sat there and read a book quietly. After my first cup of coffee I felt my knee bounce to a rhythm only I could hear. I ordered a Moons over My Hammy thinking that it might not be the worst thing on the menu.

I sat there alone, ate my dinner and waited for someone to happen to me.

The old friends were gone, and the only dialogue I could have was with myself.

I sighed.

It was late and I could feel the bags under my eyes as I noticed that it was now midnight. It was time to leave.

I walked up to the counter and paid my bill, the cashier asked if I would be coming back anytime soon. I just chuckle to myself and left a good tip to match my excellent service.

A few hours later a felt my stomach being ripped apart by the greasy food and caffeine; my clothes stank of cigarette smoke. I just didn’t have the tolerance anymore.

***

I’m not at Denny’s much any more. There is really no way for me to do so. I live near many nightspots now and I can’t go to the Fort Gratiot Denny’s as much as I want to. It is too out of the way for me and at this point there is hardly even a handful of people that are at the Denny’s to make frequent trips worth it. That is not to say that the people I hang out with at Denny’s now isn’t worth it; rather, I can’t just make a trip up there when I know that I have many better options down here in the metro Detroit area.

What Denny’s means to me now is something more though. Over the past few years I’ve noticed many of the integral locations where I grew up have either been torn down, shut down, or drastically changed. The coffee shop where I fell in love with my ex is now an internet café. The ESG as I knew it has been replaced by the new library at SC4. These places are leaving and it does sadden me that once in a while I can’t go to the places that are valuable to me in that they were part of my evolution from the loudest shy person in the world to someone who isn’t shy enough.

But Denny’s is still around. I do not see it going anywhere. The nostalgia trip that I get when I walk in is worth it. It is in a state of arrested development and I want it kept that way. If I want to sit at a table and remember what I did at that table 6 years ago I can. If I want to be there late to get some inspiration for a crazy writing project I can do it there.

Denny’s represents some of the best of my past and it is one of the few still-operating places I can think of that I can go to. Because once in a while you have to go home.

***

Spring break is next week. I will be posting. So be here!