Semi-Charmed Life

Kelly had a post a few days ago detailing a certain song that, every time it’s listened to, takes him back to a specific moment in time, a specific memory where everything is once again as vivid as it was at that one point.  I think we all have those kinds of songs… I know that I, for one, have several.  Maybe I’ll write about more later, because it’s kind of fun.  Anyways, I wrote this one night after reading his post.  It’s kind of rambly, and I considered editing it to make it more… coherent… but decided against it.  The song is “Semi-Charmed Life” by Third Eye Blind, and this is what it makes me remember:


In a beat up station-wagon that my mom was driving at the time.  We were going to visit my grandma in her trailor in Enon Valley.  We had turned in to her driveway and were going around the bend near Shirleen’s house.  White front porch and red bricks.  Emily playing in the pool.  It must have been a Saturday because Saturday Night Dance Party on B94 (while it still was B94) was the show that was playing it.  It must have been late July or Early August because the air was sticky with humidity.  You sweated a thick, sticky sweat.  Getting big Tractor tires and rolling in them, head over heels, down the hill near Shirleen’s barn with Josh and Doug and usually Tay.  Doug was a good kid.  I’m seeing a past point on the soundtrack to my life, and Third eye Blind is part of that soundtrack.  This song represents this era, this mood, this feeling, this set of hopes and dreams and desires during this one specific moment.  This song represents this belief in an infinite future – one where Josh grows up and Doug doesn’t die and Grandma doesn’t get cancer.  

What if, in a one to million shot, I got life exactly right and got to live a life that is 100% perfect.  I don’t think that ever happens, but I guess we make the best of whatever we can.