Flat Tire

What I'm Listening to: Heartbreak World (Matt Nathanson) Riding a bike with a flat tire is, well...a byword. If you've ever done it yourself, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Well, here I was one Thursday evening with homework I didn't want to admit I had and boredom I needed to stifle, so I decided I'd go for a bike ride. I strapped on my helmet, rolled my bike out of the garage, and took off down the long, steep hill next to our house. I noticed a strange noise coming from behind, but I figured a leaf had gotten caught in my tire or something. Little did I know. About a half mile later, when the road had flattened out and then steepened again, I noticed the undeniable resistance coming from the rear. The noise I had so easily ignored became my personal demon the rest of the way back home. Every push of the pedal was pure agony. The strange thing is, I had somehow known it all down the hill and across the even road. I just ignored the obvious and pretended my bike was just fine. I paid for it tenfold on the uphill ride back home, though. If I'd only listened to my instincts, I wouldn't have returned home gasping, my thighs and lungs screaming for mercy. But I guess that's life.