The Food That Made Me

7/28/2025

Kids, some things are best left in the past as memories. I just came back from a weeklong camping trip with Mommy. Hopefully, next time you’ll be able to join us. But, if so, you would be a baby. I’m still working out the details of how to change you outside the comfort of a home. Not everywhere can I lay you down on a mat so that I can make sure that your arms and legs don’t KO me. And, also, there should be a lower probability that your poo poo and pee-pee explode upon me. I can’t fathom when I have a boy and they just start spraying their pee on me. Most likely, it won’t be on purpose, but he would probably laugh. Anyways, handling your excrement is going to be a challenge, especially in tight quarters. JESUS, take the poop away!

Now, back to more pleasant thoughts. Thinking back, I recall eating quite a bit of fast food while growing up. Taco Bell, TV Dinners, Arby’s, KFC, etc. Fast food still has a special place in my heart. But, it is more so a treat now, such as when we are on road trips.

While growing up, my mom used to make these mini hot dogs with cheddar cheese inside. They would have a nice char on them, and when I bit in, they would squirt melted cheese out. It was glorious.

While at a Walmart on our camping trip, I found them! I have been hoping that I would bump into them once again. Hillshire Farm Lit’l Cheddar Smoked Sausages. I got them and cooked them one day at home for breakfast. They still had a nice sear on them. But sadly, the cheese didn’t ooze out, and it felt a lot saltier than I recall as a child. I was pretty disappointed. I tried it again the next day. Same char, salt, and no ooze.

I’m not sure how I feel about digging up memories like these again. I thought that I was going to get a good level of excitement and nostalgia, but instead, I was left with disappointment. Some childhood favorites are too sweet for me now. Some are too salty. Some were just not great to begin with. When we get older, we always want to revisit the good old times. But, in some cases, maybe we should just leave them as memories.