Ok totally random

I am not really a sports fan. I don't follow it much...OK at all. But I saw an article on Yahoo News (is this the same as getting your news form The Enquirer? Not sure..but that's another topic) about a 16 year old boy who is, I guess, a phenomenal ball player, and is quitting high school to play pro ball.

My first thought is where are this kid's parents? But obviously, they are on the sidelines salivating at the prospect of their son making history...or millions of dollars. You be the judge.

Now I am not going to debate the fact whether this is the right decision or not. I just want to think about...'Back to the Future' style, what we were like at 16. Deep breath... Ready? Cue the Delorian and the bolt of lightning.....

I for one am driving to Osco in my 1982 Chevy Cavalier with a stuck thermostat making the temperature in the driver's seat about 150 degrees.

I am angry at the fact that I can no longer buy packaged butane for my clicker.

But I am glad that Aqua Net is still available to complete my "Wall of Bangs".

I grab some electric blue eye shadow to totally draw attention to my hot pink mascara.

I tap my white canvas tennis shoe which of course leads you eye to my fabulously pegged acid washed jeans.

Whoa...did you see that dude wearing the Z Cavariccis?

His mullet is fine (though I am not sure we called it that then...but you are getting the visual aren't you?) and I dig his earring. Wait...was that his right or left ear?

I watch him as he hops into his bitchin Camero (that ones in honor of you Joe)

Off to Taco Bell I go where after buying lunch with a $10 bill I still have $5 bucks to put in my gas tank. That should be enough to let me cruise the Navy Base all day PLUS buy a pack of smokes.

I eject the 2 Live Crew from the tape deck and slam in Guns N Roses...Welcome to the jungle....

Maybe I can go see Def Leppard sometime. That would be totally rad.

My backseat is littered with old fast food wrappers, and notes from my BFFs written during AP English and my very worn copy of Judy Blume's 'Forever' that is so the true life guidebook to sex, and relationships.

The fact is, I should probably weigh about 600 pounds due to the enormous quantity of french fries and chocolate frosty that I eat everyday for lunch, courtesy of the school cafeteria.

I make plans to sneak out and roll my car quietly down the hill, to go hang out with my friends, in a hotel, all night, drinking untold amounts of Boone's Farm "Strawberry Hill" and Mad Dog 20/20. ("Friends being a relative word-I met them about 2 hours ago and they all happen to be much older and very much the opposite sex)

The next day I let the stoners copy my homework in car maintenance. Wait..shouldn't THEY know more than me about this topic?

Still need to save my money to go get my Prom dress from DEB, which my awful, mean, worst parents in the universe, refuse to buy. I really think this guy is "the one" you know what I mean??

OK I can't stand it anymore. It's awful, and that is more reliving my past than I ever cared to do, and the rest is a blur (probably a good thing). BUT my point is, see our mindset at 16? Are we truly mature enough to make life altering decisions like quitting school to play the national pastime? Now this boy's father seems to think that baseball will help him prepare for life. I guess that too is debatable. Some seem to think jump on it when you are on top and healthy. I can't imagine God opening a door, that if it truly is the best thing for his life, that will only be open for a sliver of time, and then it will be pulled away. Maybe it's just me. Maybe not all 16 year olds are as naive and selfish as I was.

For this young man's sake, I surely hope not.