Jump, bad decisions, algebra & the orange wobble board

If you haven't heard, one half of the rap group Kris Kross died of an apparent drug overdose. I can't say I'm surprised to hear of his passing at age 34. I guess once you get some money and a taste for the good life, it's hard to turn down that next high. Can you imagine having your greatest achievement come when you're 13 years old? That's what happened when this duo of Krises started wearing their clothes backward and recorded "Jump" with super producer Jermaine Dupri.

I mean, think back to when you were in 8th grade. You weren't touring with Michael Jackson behind the power of a Billboard hit. You were probably handing notes to your crush and wondering if she/he would "go" with you, whatever that meant. Come on now, admit it, who didn't pass notes with the yes, no and maybe boxes. The worst thing that could happen in your life was that she'd check the "no" box and you'd have to shift your efforts to one of her friends.

It doesn't really surprise me when young people make bad decisions. Especially when they weren't given the adequate time to learn and grow into healthy adults. When you're on the road at age 13, just imagine all the algebra you miss out on. And everyone knows that algebra transforms you into that well-rounded adult who makes smart life choices. These days, I try to put my energy into positive endeavors that can turn a few bucks and keep me with a roof over my head. But even I fall victim to some dumb life choices. I guess I should have paid more attention to 8th grade algebra and my life could have turned out better.

As I think back to 8th grade, I remember having a big wobbly orange skateboard. We lived at the top of a big hill, so, of course, once I was able to stand on my board, I had to try and bomb the hill. I got that orange wobble board up to about 20 miles per hour and halfway into my hill ride, down I go, removing about half the skin on my right shoulder. There was no helmet, no pads, not even an extra layer of clothing. Just me, a thin cotton t-shirt and the cement. Good thing mom was just steps away with a bottle of hydrogen peroxide. Man, I can still feel the burn. Yep, I'm sure I could have definitely used some algebra when calculating that life choice.