When I was 16 years old I would go out to eat with one of my friends, Matt, every couple of weeks. He and I would head across town to a little Chinese take-out place. Every time we went there I’d order a tiny carton of steamed rice and pot stickers and then we would sit outside at a plastic table and soak up the California sun.
No, that last part is a lie. He and I were two of the palest people I’ve ever seen in my life. Let’s try again…
We would sit outside in the California sun only slightly wincing as it shined on the parts of our face not covered by our hip sunglasses and dark hair. The rest of our bodies, fully clad in black, were safe from the harmful rays. There we would lounge in white plastic chairs and try not to touch the dirty plastic table that had seen too many meals and not enough cleaning rags…
I’d forgotten about it until this evening when I put white rice on K’s plate for dinner. I reached into the fridge for the bottle of soy sauce and realized we were out so I pulled a little packet of soy sauce out of the silverware drawer. It was no doubt left over from one of our take out sushi dinners, but as I tore it open and sprinkled it over her rice dinner with my family is not what came to mind. Instead I had a flash of my friend smiling at me from behind the purple lenses of his Doggers.
I hated my teenage years, I wouldn’t relive them for anything, but when I remember a moment like that I’m reminded that there were times as a teen that I really was happy.
Even if it was just for a moment.
CamiKaos 
It’s always awesome to have a moment like that. You know, like when that barista handed me a cup of coffee and gave me one of the dirtiest looks in my life. Don’t know how I would ever have lived without that memory. But its there and its precious. :)
that wasn’t just any cup of coffee… it was a damn good one.
I love memories that come at you out of nowhere, in general.
Oh – and getting rid of those small soy packets is awesome! We have a gazillion, too.
those sudden flashback memories usually make my tunny go wobbly-they’re the best kind. BTW if you’d like to pick your photo from my flickr and send me your snail mail address I’ll send that photo out to you asap.
Love the way you put us in your mind with this post, but now I’m hungry for fortune cookies.
Your site will not let me add my blog address http://www.traviserwin.blogspot.com as it says I am not a member.
i love when little memory bubbles take me by suprise like that!
I love moments like that. Cool.