A pimped out bike, reality and the paper route

In fifth grade I got a paper route. The green bike would NOT do……. Yeah dude a 10 speed……rockin….turn signals… a little radio….flags…..Im pimpin for sure……chicks will DIG me now. Wait till Becky sees me. …..Employed…..me and my BAD ride……its lookin good……Now I cant take credit here.

You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want

Where I liked to ride was by Beckys house. However in the cold or in the rain …the bike failed to impress. In fact it made ME downright miserable. I wasn’t EVEN showing up on her radar. The whole …….8 seconds I peddled by her house. But everyday??? Come ON dude!!!! She NEVER goes outside????? So I delivered my papers…… and delivered……and delivered….
One time my chain came off and it was NOT going back on……I had grease ALL over me and it was getting dark…… no amount of bubble gum was worth this!!!! FRIG!! Somebody gave me a kitten once and I put her in my paperbag while I did my route. I got home and the neighbors dog ate her. Yeah………the paper route definitely had its drawbacks.
My uncle Steve came down one year and DROVE me around on the hood of his car….I’d lay on the windshield and he would hand me a paper and I’d heave it going 30 miles an hour……good times…On a sunny day though it was tough to beat. Birds overhead with big, tall clouds…..cicadas everywhere…… my legs and arms bronze from the sun…..and when I got to the gas station for a break……anything I wanted. A boys dream come true.
Bring it…….. Better bring reality.

But if you try sometimes you might find
You get what you need

The truth is……I never had a chance with Becky. I was not from her side of the tracks. Her dads collar was different than mine and I was the paper boy. A bigger bike was not going to turn her head……when youre young you have a lot of dreams. Some I put down to the privilege of youth and that’s ok. Others may not survive when you wake up……or grow up…..I mean…they are dreams after all. Some people like that world. The one where ANYTHING is possible. Im not built like that. The here and now is worth more to me than ANY false hope. Besides….. I cant wait to get old enough to be a lifeguard…..Now THAT’S a job she’ll respect!!!