A sad story from my childhood.



I'm eleven or twelve. It's summer, I'm home alone. (I don't know why I was by myself, I just was.)

All I want in the world is a soda. (Of course, we don't have any at home, because we never did. At the time it made me very upset, but retrospectively, I'm really glad that we didn't.) I scrape together every single piece of change in the house, because I'm going to get a Dr. Pepper.

I get my by Murray BMX bike and I ride to Braum's. I have just enough money to buy a large Dr. Pepper. (That's the red cup, if you grew up with BICADS [that's Braum's Ice Cream and Dairy Stores, if you're out of the know])

I take it outside, I get on my bike, and I put the straw through the lid. As I'm bringing the straw to my mouth to draw that first, fantastic, fizzy sip.... I lose my grip and the whole mother-fucking thing tumbles over my handlebars, smashing onto the ground and spilling every single last drop of soda all over the concrete.

Since I've started riding again, we've had some hard rides, it's been hot, I've been tired and sore... but the 1/4 mile back to my house that day was the most depressing, demoralizing ride I'll probably ever take. That day stands out for me as the most defeated and frustrated I think I've ever been.

Think of time when you felt this powerless and hopeless over something seemingly insignificant, and email me about it.
- posted by Mason @ 11:37 PM