How does one "ride my own melt?"
"There's no point to any of this. It's all just a... a random lottery of
meaningless tragedy and a series of near escapes. So I take pleasure in
the details. You know... a quarter-pounder with cheese, those are good,
the sky about ten minutes before it starts to rain, the moment where
your laughter become a cackle... and I, I sit back and I smoke my Camel
Straights and I ride my own melt."
-Troy Dyer, Reality Bites
When I first discovered Reality Bites, I memorized this quote. One night while I was trying to fall asleep, I practiced this quote in a near whisper, scaring the bejesus out of my sister (who was in the bunk bed above me). She said to me, "What the hell are you saying?"
What exactly was I saying? I mean, I understand what it means. Yet even today, I wonder about what exactly Troy was trying to say. How does somebody "ride their own melt"? And does it have anything to do with tuna?
I created an ITunes playlist called, "Pardon me while I ride my own melt" with songs I felt captured the essence of "riding your own melt." Personally, for some reason I just picture random daydreaming or quiet meditation (with my playlist in the background, of course).
My playlist (thus far) consists of:
1. "Help Me" by Joni Mitchell
2. "My Junk" from Spring Awakening
3. "Human Nature" by Michael Jackson (I'm probably going to remove this one)
4. "Who Knows Where The Time Goes" by the Fairport Convention
5. "Talk of the Town" by the Pretenders
6. "Everything I Own" by Bread
7. "The Hat" by Ingrid Michaelson
8. "It Really Is (A Wonderful Life)" by Mindy Smith
9. "I've Got A Name" by Jim Croce
I'm contemplating whether to start smoking like Troy Dyer. Maybe that is where I will find my answer to the "melt" question. Was Troy using a common phrase I've never heard of before, or was he just being poetic and asking the viewers to use their imagination?
Comments
My friend and I just watched Reality Bites the other night for the first time in a long time.
Years ago, too many to count now, I also memorized this among many other quotes from the movie. My answering machine was Troy and Lainie's from when her dad called, etc in my own life. Finally I realized riding one's own melt is exactly how it sounds in doing what is right for one's own self. That is, HE likes quarter-pounders with cheese, the sky ten minutes before it starts to rain, and the moment his laughter becomes a cackle. Those little details in life that so many take for granted are what bring him happiness. And that's all life is, finding moments of happiness amidst the random lottery of tragedy and series of near escapes, until one day when, well, you don't escape. The final tragedy being death. Remember, the scene is also where he reveals that his father is sick points out to him, still a kid, that there's no point to life. Well, if there's no central goal to work toward, then being happy now, and only worrying about now, would be key. Because it can be over at any moment.
It's all either very hopeless or very (Western interpretation of) Zen Buddhist. Even, at this point in the movie, Troy doesn't know. There's the underlying tone of despair, but the slight happiness at even just the thought of these things he enjoys, as he smiles while talking about them, then goes back to an introspective countenance while smoking his Camel straight.
Have fun, and good luck on your melt. And if this all sounds like bullshit to you, then just ignore it. By doing so, you'll be riding YOUR own melt. ;-)