Jokes fuel the comedy

When I was a kid, type 1 diabetes, and diabetes in general was not nearly as ubiquitous as today. The technology and mindset of freedom necessary to live normally while having it were certainly lacking, but the improvements have allowed so much more normalcy and enjoyment. Back then, I’d eat close to zero carbs – mostly tofu, poultry, vegetables, and cheese. The cheese would be cooked into a cracker and fat drained from it. Recently I saw and tried a much prettier and likely mass produced version in the grocery store. It was either a grocery store brand or from Taco Bell. However, it was much greasier than my childhood homecooked version. Every bite was a giant “CRUNCH.” It came with crumbs galore, so I’d eat over some sort of dish or tray, and then eat the crumbs as well.

Now, kids tease each other, sometimes mercilessly. For me, this was largely good natured fun, resulting in nicknames from my high school friend group of “Asian nerd” for the fact that I was the only Asian there, and was always studying and knew way too much about really random things.

My friends were an interesting group. Maggie said it first and best, with an impish smile on her face, braces, and red hair. That quickly spread to CJ, a tall red-headed boy, and then to my friend Vanessa, a sexy cat-loving Latina. Once my friends discovered the crunchy cheese crackers, that was when the ongoing joke would be “CRUNCH” at every snack or meal, but most often during MMORPG video games on my PC.

I loved crunchy foods, so that’s all they’d get me. Chips, crackers, Baker’s chocolate, pretzels, celery, carrots, crunchy cookies, you name it. Now, this joke probably lasted long after it should’ve died – into my early twenties, and followed me across the country.

Despite the many years that have passed, I’m sure that if I encountered one of them again, it would be “CRUNCH.”

As for “Asian nerd” – that one has been fulfilled. What’s nerdier than someone who’s always buried in a sci-fi, romantic comedy, murder mystery, or terror book that becomes a scientist who loves science? Still Asian, can’t change that, and proud of my ancestry. My family surname is in a temple in Southeastern China after all, and most people can’t say that.

While I’m in my late twenties, the inside jokes haven’t stopped. My favorite in the recent past is “Rural King.” This comes from an excursion to Rural King, the weirdest combination of hardware – farmware – grocery – and clothing store that I’ve seen to date. My partner and I had gone on a date to a local restaurant serving Asian-American fusion. After eating the greasiest burgers and Philly Cheesesteak egg rolls (mind-blowingly delicious), it had started raining. If you’ve ever eaten a really greasy meal, you know it’s mildly uncomfortable and it helps to walk around. Sadly, walking in the rain wasn’t a hot option.

Now, there was a mall, department stores, and more – however, my partner doesn’t care much for malls, loves tools, and had never been to Rural King. So to Rural King we went, to browse and goof off, sheltered from the rain. It was early in our relationship and could’ve been way wrong but we had a good time, talking about projects, and he found some options for getting his mother something for her horses.

By the end of it, we ended up taking some photos in Rural King wear – a photo that I hope is never shared. The random wandering does happen more often than not – our very first date was very chilly and wet, so we ended up hiding inside some clothes stores and enjoying each others’ company.