Cereal on My Mind

Last week I sat down at the breakfast table and ate cold cereal with my dad. Which, of course, made me feel like I was about 8 years old again.
What I find strange about it is that the entire ritual of eating cold breakfast cereal is ingrained in me. My dad taught me nigh on 40-some years ago a way to slice up a banana with my spoon in a way that I honestly don't think many other people do. And I thought about that even though I wasn't having a banana in my cereal.

The biggest difference between now and when I was little is that my dad's taste in cold breakfast cereals is more advanced now. He keeps a collection of (what I think of as) somewhat exotic cereals -- Shredded Wheat and Raisin Bran and other Post cereals with nuts and stuff in them. Growing up in my house there was strictly Wheaties and Kellogs Corn Flakes.* I think occasionally there'd be some Raisin Bran but even then the stuff was expensive.
Honestly I don't even particularly like bananas. But sometimes I get a craving for them.
My dad, up until a few years ago, used to travel with Corn Flakes in the trunk of his car. This was before practically every hotel/motel you stayed at had a "complimentary continental buffet breakfast".

*I was also brought up with a strong prejudice against name brands but as my father taught me, some things you simply have to have the name brand of. If you've ever had generic Corn Flakes or Wheaties I'm sure you'll agree.