Going to Denny's for Jared's birthday

In his twenties, Jared used to like going home to Miami for his birthday.

One year, he went home and asked Josh to join him in doing something classic and nostalgic: going to Denny's for a free birthday Grand Slam breakfast.

As they sat down and waited for the server, Jared was feeling awkward about how exactly the interaction would go. He was worried that the server would get overly excited like one might for a little kid's birthday (”Wow! Well, happy birthday to you, we're glad to have you. Have a great day!” etc.) and embarrass him.

Josh disagreed, saying she'd probably give a nod or a very simple “happy birthday” and nothing more.

The server approached. She was a thin, middle-aged white woman, and she had the gravelly voice of a smoker. When Jared ordered his birthday meal, she gave a quick, emotionless “happy birthday” — almost exactly as Josh had predicted.

Their breakfast turned out fine, but when they finished, Jared couldn't help but feel a little let down and wistful. The allure of the free birthday meal wasn't what he'd thought it'd be. The food was average, and the Grand Slam actually cost only seven dollars anyway, so the benefit of it being free wasn't even a big deal.

They left, and Jared was left wondering why exactly he had wanted to go in the first place. He grew up a lot that day.  ❒

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