We pulled up to the Baker’s Drive-Thru around 10PM and gave our orders.
A Papa #1 with sauce and cheese only and a Mama #1.
The employee repeated our order back to us, and we moved forward. As we sat in the car, my friend, really my brother for over eight years now, turned up the radio as "Galway Girl" by Ed Sheeran came on. Normally, I would’ve tried to turn down the music since I have overly sensitive hearing (at least that’s what my friends tell me; I’m convinced everyone else has terrible hearing).
But not this time.
This time, I don’t mind it. This time, I let the moment with my friend sink in as we sit there waiting for our food. This time, I sing along loud and proud with him as I look at the night sky and the city of lights that surrounds us.
I want this moment to last forever. A moment where my thoughts are not clouded by whatever problems may be at home. A moment where my fears of the future are not front and center in everything I do. A moment where nothing else matters except being in that car, waiting to finally chow down on our food as we sing off key to Ed Sheeran. A moment that is so set in reality yet also so set apart from it. It’s a dream moment that I don’t want to let go of.
We reached the drive-thru window, paid, received our food and took off to my hotel.
As we drove back, I felt myself returning to the reality I was familiar with. As we drove further and further away from the drive-thru, we were moving closer and closer to the future. Closer to when I have to leave California yet again, waiting months again before I can see my family of friends that live here. Closer to the future and further away from the past, the past that is filled with memories just like the drive-thru.
I know that the future is there to create new memories just like this one. I know that clearly and fully. People can tell me that over and over again, and I get it. But it doesn’t matter how much I know it. It doesn't change the fact that, as I get older and enjoy more experiences, I am so clearly aware of the fact that time will always continue to move forward, further and further away from the memories that I want to hold on to.
As we turned into the parking lot for my hotel, I forced these thoughts out of mind. I know that life is filled with more than I could ever fully wrap my head around. For the moment, just for this one instance, I’ll live in the moment, taking it all in so that no detail escapes my memory for when I relive this same memory with my friend another eight years from now and beyond.