“Life is short; live it. Love is rare; grab it. Anger is bad; dump it. Fear is awful; face it. Memories are sweet; cherish them.” – Unknown.
Of all of the weddings that I have been to in my short time here on Earth, this one, in particular, hit home the most. Words, photographs, and videos cannot describe the euphoric feeling of being present in the moment, but I will try my “Sunday best” to deliver.
One year earlier….
Me: Congrats, brother!! (texted Cabot congratulating him on his proposal to Paulina).
Cabot: Thanks, man it was a long time coming! How you been?
Me: Good man finishing up school and doing a little bit of traveling; crazy how time flies; we’re growing up and adulting.
Cabot: Bro you’re not lying we’re finally doing adult things.
Me: Remember me when you start to send out the invites; I’ll try and make it out!
Cabot: Oh, you’ll definitely be getting an invite!
July 2022:
Cabot: Hey brother, what’s your address I’m sending out the invites to the wedding.
(By now I had already planned a trip to Greece end of Oct-Nov).
One week later.
Me: I Received the invitation (I looked at the dates and saw right away there was a conflict of interest… but I already chose to go home; that was a no-brainer. Greece would always be there.) see you and the family soon brother!
Cabot: Awesome man! Glad it made it all the way there; looking forward to having you!
October 27th: The day has come when I set out for another adventure. This time it’s to reunite with family & old friends. I double-checked, ensured I had everything, and set out to fly from Burbank, CA. It’s so much closer than LAX. I have a short layover in Dallas Tx then hop over to Lafayette, LA, my hometown! Once at the airport, I thank my roommate Raff for dropping me off, and I head inside to find my gate. I get through customs and sit for the next hour until it’s time to board. One of my favorite things to do is read, and what better way to use your time reading while on the plane? At the time, I was reading The Body Keeps the Score (Amazon Kindle) by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk. I highly recommend it if you want a deep dive into psychology, mind, body, and stories.
Landing in the Dallas airport is an adventure in itself; this damn airport is MASSIVE! I had to make it from the E terminal all the way to B, the sky tram it is.
The plane ride from Dallas to Lafayette is roughly 45 minutes; you go up and then down. In the meantime, I had a friendly conversation with a group of people sitting next to me. When I landed at the airport, I was blown away by how much it had changed from a tiny ancient place to a marvelous lite-up airport. I quickly called my sis to tell her I had landed and for her to pick me up.
The following day I got to see my nephew; he’s huge (geez, how time flies) I observed him playing with the toys and seeing him so curious about everything. A moment later I get tackled by my niece, Chewy!
Me: Chewy! How are you?!
Chewy: Uncle KK I’ve missed you to play want a game with me?
Me: Of course munchkin what do you want to play?
Chewy: The switch, that way I can beat you at Mario Party!
In two hours, I found myself at Gladiators, an MMA gym near Lafayette. I trained for the open mat with an old high school friend Abram. We were on the wrestling team together at Comeaux High. Now n days, he teaches and fights in the local fight leagues. I met the group of guys, and we started warming up. Jiu-Jitsu is another passion of mine. It is an incredible combat sport like no other. For those that don’t know what it is, think of “Chess with the body.” I’ll post a more detailed description of it down the road. After the train, we take a group photo, and I thanked all the gentlemen for their time and hospitality.
That afternoon I met up with my good friends Conner and Daniel (high school buddies/wrestling teammates) at the local pub, except it was closed, so we opted for the pizza joint that has local craft beer. This unique vendor lets you pour your beer with various amounts to choose from. Well, me being me, I attempt to grab a “Red Ale,” except the damn tap wouldn’t pour. It took Conner and me a solid five minutes trying to figure out how to run it; meanwhile, Daniel was in the background laughing. We spent the rest of the night catching up and reminiscing.
October 29, 2022: The big day arrives.
6 AM: The alarm clock went off. I wake up and get through my morning routine (coffee, reading, morning yoga, and music/singing in the shower). I went down to the hotel lobby (it had a mural of Lafayette/Louisiana culture and a pool table) for a slight breakfast since I planned on meeting Laura for brunch. Like constantly in Louisiana, it was pouring down rain; that day was no exception.
Luckily, the hotel I was staying at was only a quarter of a mile down the road from the coffee shop. I briskly walked through the chilly rain, admiring all that had changed and what had stayed the same. Within minutes, I made it to the coffeehouse. As soon as I went inside, Ian (a high school classmate) greeted me, “Hey, I know you! Wow, it’s been a long time; how have you been?” we chatted until Laura walked in.
Laura is a fellow high school classmate/traveler/good friend. I showed her around a few years back when she flew to California. She recommended a coffee; I also had to grab some spicy boudin kolaches for old times’ sake. After an hour of catching up and exchanging travel stories, she dropped me off at the hotel to prepare for the wedding.
Once dressed in a black three-piece suit, I grabbed my fedora and went downstairs for an Uber.
The wedding was in downtown Abbeville, LA, across from a beautiful historic church. Like always, I show up super early to places; the saying “it’s better to be 15 minutes early than 15 minutes late” has been instilled in me from an early age. It’s hard doing that in Los Angeles, CA, where it’s the complete opposite.
Moments later, the rest of the guests started to show up. I was sitting in the southside corner and soon noticed familiar faces: Mikey & Madison (one of several high school sweethearts I will mention). Wow, I had not seen them since high school. Back in the day, Mikey and I used to cut up in drama class. We started to chitchat until Madison mentioned we were not supposed to be in the reception area until after the wedding oops. As we made our way outside, I stood in the west corner, observing everyone taking their seat.
Suddenly, Mrs. Tiffany (Cabot’s aunt, mom’s side) walks in front of me, and I smile. Immediately, she recognized me, gave me an enormous hug, mentioned how big I got, and thanked me so much for coming all the way from California. I noticed similar faces from back then and some I had not met. A recognizable group took their seats. I walked up from behind them.
Me: Hey Nicole! How are you all?
Nicole: Caleb!! You made it from California! How long are you staying?
Me: Yes, ma’am wouldn’t miss it. I’m only staying till tomorrow, then heading to Texas to visit Mum and family.
I introduced myself to her husband, Brandon, said hi to Courtney (Abram’s wife), and returned to where I was standing.
The ceremony was phenomenal! Hunter A. (a high school classmate) was the ordained minister, and after saying the “I do’s,” it was time for the party to begin.
I still hadn’t seen Cabot and the family besides Mrs. Tiffany, so that was the mission!
I found Grant first; good lord, he had grown up with a beard and a firm handshake. I asked how he was doing. After swapping stories, I wondered if he knew where the rest of the family was, he mentioned Mr. Neil (Cabot’s dad) was towards the front of the building. I soon found him; he gave me a huge hug and thanked me for making it out to the wedding. Next, I found Bailey (Cabot’s sister).
Bailey: Calebbb! OMG, aww thank you so much for coming!! I’ll be right back. I have to find Paulina.
Me: No worries, aha, have you seen Mrs. Jill? (Cabot’s mom).
After Bailey pointed me in the right direction.
I soon found Mrs. Jill talking with Mrs. Tiffany. I walked up and smiled at her; she embraced me with an enormous hug and thanked me with tears in her eyes.
Mrs. Jill: Caleb, I can’t believe you’re here; thank you for coming. It means so much to Cabot that you showed up.
Me: I would not have missed this, Mrs. Jill; y’all are family!
There was one more person that I still needed to find. Shortly after, I found Cabot, and we shook hands/hugged. We grabbed a beer together and mentioned that I eventually wanted to get photos with him Paulina, and the family.
As the dancing continues, I find myself talking with Conner S. and his wife, Jessica (high school friends). Conner was also a wrestling teammate close to the same weight class back then. We share travel stories and what we have been up to with life. Cabot and Abram join the conversation; Abe asks if he can see the fedora; I snap a group photo. Soon, it’s time for the “Money Dance,” and I stand in line to dance with Paulina. When my turn came around, Paulina thanked me for coming such a long way. I let her know it was no problem; I would not have missed it, and thanked her for the invite.
Towards the end of the night, I had yet another mission to take a reunion photo of Comeaux High years later. I started to let everybody know gradually so that we could gather in one shot. On three, two, one… Comeaux High!!
Closing time was just around the corner, but it was Halloween weekend, and the party continued elsewhere. We all started to say goodbyes. As I made my rounds saying farewells, it was a tough one. All of the memories from growing up in Lafayette and everyone I’ve encountered seeing them years later and where their life has taken them.
The following day, as I am leaving the hotel. I texted my 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Betha, and let her know that I am leaving town and that Mum is coming to pick me up. Mrs. Bethea drove to the hotel with a packet full of old memories of Cabot & me (wow I hardly grew since then). She asked if I still had the children’s books. “yes, ma’am, I do”. She proceeds to pull out a copy of an unpublished book called Caleb the Koala as Mrs. Betha reads it out loud and cries “Happy Tears”… Soon, mum pulls up with Lucy (the happiest Pitbull/Mastiff you’ll ever meet). We say our goodbyes and make our way to Texas.
One thing for sure is moving away from my hometown is one of the best things anyone could ever do! It is a vast world out there, and moving away opens the eyes/ears and gives a new perspective to life. People may learn new perceptions, values, cultures, foods, weathers, etc. If I have learned anything in my short time here on earth, traveling (solo trips!) is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself. Do not let someone else’s perspective determine whether you should do it. Please go out and experience it for yourself and write your own story. Life is just a novel of stories. Everybody has a story. You must flip to the next chapter; your story is ongoing.
Laissez le bon temps rouler! (Let the good times roll).
As always, do what you love, and do it often! Till the next adventure…
IN LOVING MEMORY: Elaine Faul & Milton Faul – You both have always treated me as a grandson. I miss and love you dearly.
About
Caleb Young graduated from California State University, Northridge, with a BA in Psychology, envisioning becoming a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) working with active duty military/families/veterans. Caleb has volunteered with various mental health nonprofits, including You Matter Not Alone, Working Dogs For Warriors, and Heroes Project. He enjoys reading/writing, Jiu-Jitsu, and exploring the great outdoors. Follow Caleb on Instagram and Facebook.