An American Buffet and the Trouble with Nostalgia

Video Description

An American buffet leaves an impression on you. Sometimes good. Sometimes bad. Maybe it was a Chinese Buffet with your high school friends. Maybe it was Ponderosa. Maybe it was a frozen yogurt flavor you’ve been chasing for decades. But what happens when you go back? In this 7 Minute Story, Aaron revisits a core memory from the 90s and begins to question something deeper: Can you trust nostalgia? Does memory tell the truth? Or does time change the taste of everything? This is a story about abundance, aging, perspective, and the strange moment when the past doesn’t feel the way you remembered it. And the uncomfortable question that follows... Which version of the memory do you trust? 👇 📬⁠ Join the 7 Minute Stories Newsletter⁠ (https://www.7minutestoriespod.com/newsletter) Each month, Aaron shares a select edition of Stories in a Snap — a written short story adapted from this 7 Minute Stories podcast and thoughtfully reimagined for the page. Subscribers also receive storytelling insights, behind-the-scenes reflections, and exclusive bonus content. All delivered straight to their inbox. 📰 Stories in a Snap (Weekly Edition) (https://www.7minutestoriespod.com/storiesinasnapweekly) is the weekly written adaptation of 7 Minute Stories. A distilled short story you can read in just a few quiet minutes, delivered straight to your inbox every week. 📻 If you like 7 Minute Stories, you’ll love⁠⁠ 7 Minute Stories Radio⁠⁠ (https://www.7minutestoriespod.com/radio) — a 24/7 stream of Aaron’s stories you can tune into anytime. Let it run in the background while you walk, work, cook, or wind down. It’s not an episode feed. It’s a digital storytelling radio companion with an analog feel, built to keep you company. 🌙 If you like 7MS, make sure you follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Night Stories LIVE! (https://www.youtube.com/@nightradiolive) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠— Aaron’s late-night radio show where he shares stories and talks with special guests in real time. Streamed live Thursdays at 9:30PM EST on ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ and delivered as ⁠⁠⁠⁠a podcast on-demand⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/night-stories-live/id1867977525) ! The 7MS Team: Story created & performed by: Aaron Calafato Senior Audio Engineer:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ken Wendt ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://kenwendt.com/) Additional vocals: Cori Calafato Artist in Residence: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pete Whitehead ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.petewhitehead.com/) Original Theme Music: thomas j. duke Additional Soundscape Design:⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Isaac Gehring & Story Sounds Media LLC ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://storysoundsmedia.com/) Special Thanks: Shannon Baker Rob Montague Jr Kyle McCarthy Dania Khalife