26 August, 2008

3rd Wheel for Life



I was taking an alternative route to work this morning, seeing if I could shave time off my standard route without adding too much additional stress because of congestion or traffic lights. I was trying to integrate as much freeway driving as possible because I drop my wife off at work right by the freeway everyday and then usually backtrack towards the mountains before cutting back up towards work. Well today, Im pretty sure I found the perfect route that combines speed, convenience and traffic free back roads driving.
My route today took me through the west Provo neighborhoods, just east of the freeway. As I speedily meandered through these back roads, plotting my route as I went, I realized I recognized where I was and a flood of memories came pouring in from my old high school days. But before the joy of those bygone days could lift my groggy morning spirits (it was 10am), the recollection of my third-wheel childhood status took over all happy memories.
The memory I had was of Quinn from the band The Used. I went to high school with his girlfriend and even took her to prom one year when he was on tour in Europe. But Quinn had it rather rough before The Used hit it big. He lived in a rented bedroom in the garage of a house in Provo. It was literally a bedroom in the garage with a dresser and a bed and unfortunately for me, the only reason I know this is because I was the third-wheel in that memory as Cheryl and Quinn cuddled and talked in his "apartment." Why was I there? How did I not realize I was intruding. Why was I lingering?
Then it got worse. I realized the radio was giving me messages. The radio speaks to me you know. I receive revelations through the radio. The song that was playing was, "Do You Have to Let it Linger," by the Cranberries....a band big in high school....being played on KOHS....Orem High's radio station. Wow, I am pathetic. At that precise moment, I realized I am A Third Theel with a capitol A because I am the noun of Thrid Wheels. The radio just had to be playing that song, on that station. How sad.
I guess its better than listening to Dianne Rehm on NPR public radio though.

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