Thirty Days of Genius – Day Twenty-seven

It’s funny what people will do for a fairly insignificant amount of money.  Especially when they are young and stupid.  I’m recalling in particular a conversation I had with my seventeen-year-old neighbor last week.  I had asked him, in passing, why there was a ramp, a kiddie pool, and a mattress in our road.

Here’s the grand plan his friend talked him into for $20.  He was to ride his bike down the hill to gain enough speed to hit the ramp and go flying.  Then he would ditch the bike, in mid-air, and land safely on the mattress.  His momentum would then cause him to bounce back into the air and land in the kiddie pool.

I must’ve looked pretty incredulous by the time he got to the end of the story because he got a bit defensive.  “This is totally going to work,” he told me seriously, as only a teenager can.

“Sure…” I replied, just barely able to keep my eyes from rolling right out of their sockets.  I must say that I then failed as a so-called adult because instead of telling him the numerous ways he was going to break something–namely himself–I just smiled and wished him luck.

The little devil inside me rubbed his hands together in glee and wondered if I could take bets with the neighbors on which bones he was going to break.  I was going with left arm.  Maybe an ankle.  Long odds on the neck, because while kids are dumb, they’re also pretty resilient.  The little angel that should’ve balked was strangely silent, probably passed out just at the thought of such a stunt.

Writing prompts:  road, money, conversation

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