THE FIFTH WHEEL

Ah yet another metaphor. Have you ever felt useless and unproductive? You feel like a spare tire neatly tucked away in the trunk of car never acknowledged or even missed until the car hits a bump in the road. After all a car operates on only four wheels. The spare tire doesn't get to contribute to the quality of the car nor take pleasure in the adventure. It is the back up plan. The runner up that gets the responsibility when one of the other tires fails to carried out its duties. It is a terrible feeling to feel like a spare tire, easily replaceable. However I wouldn't want to be the steering wheel which is manipulated into going in the direction the driver wants it to go although the steering wheel is of vital importance to the functioning of the car. Maybe it would be better to be the ignition that pumps the car up and brings it to life or the accelerator that pushes the car forward and gives it speed. The brakes also have a very important role. They protect the passengers of the car by allowing them to stop at stop signs and red lights keeping them out of harm's way. The air bag cushions protect blows to the head. The seat belt safely fastens in passengers and guards them against unexpected and spontaneous stops. Maybe I would rather be a sun roof allowing in fresh air, sunshine, and even a sense of adventure. I would rather be anything than the spare tire, feeling useless and unproductive. We all need to feel special. We need to be made to feel like the cream of the crop. The essential ingredient in a recipe that spices things up. We need to feel like the cherry on the top of an icecream sundae or the silver lining around a dark rain cloud. We need to feel wanted, missed, appreciated, affirmed, respected, and validated. We also need to treat others with that same respect and give our undivided attention when it is needed whether we are talking to the person face to face or by other technological means. I am sure that in all our lives we have been made to feel less than who and what we are either intentionally or unintentionally. We have all felt left out and out of the loop at one time or another. If you have ever felt like an outsider, the punch line to a joke or the fifth wheel, you are not alone. Trust me I know exactly how you feel.