Billy and Jimmy were strutting down Main Street like they owned the place when Billy's eyes nearly popped out of his head. He froze mid-strut, pointing and squealing like a toddler who just saw a puppy.
Jimmy, utterly baffled, squinted in the direction of Billy's frantic finger. And then he saw it too. Their jaws dropped in unison.
No way….
They bolted across the street, dodging cars like they were in a real-life game of Frogger.

As they skidded to a halt in front of the shop window, they were nearly blinded by the gleam of the most glorious sight ever: a Limited Edition Mongoose Classic California Special BMX. This wasn't just any bike; it was the bike. With a Hi-Tenile steel, horizontal dropout frame, a 1-inch headtube fork, and a 1-piece forged steel crank, it was practically a two-wheeled deity. Pro Class rims, chrome 14-gauge steel spokes, aluminum pedals, DiaCompe MX1000 caliper brakes, and handlebars that screamed "I'm cooler than you" completed the masterpiece.

Their trance was shattered by the sound of a door opening. A kid, grinning like he just won the lottery, rolled the Mongoose out of the shop. His dad thanked the shop owner, and the kid pedaled away, leaving Billy and Jimmy standing there, slack-jawed and heartbroken. The Mongoose was gone, and with it, their dreams of BMX glory.

Billy stormed into the shop like a man on a mission and blurted out, "How much for the mongoose?" The shop owner, looking as puzzled as a cat in a dog park, replied, "I don’t have any for sale."

Jimmy, now more confused than a chameleon in a bag of Skittles, pointed to the three other bikes inside and asked, "What are those then?" The shop owner sighed and said, "Those are already sold." As if on cue, a ticket reading "$500 - SOLD" fluttered from the handlebar like a tiny flag of disappointment.

The shop owner continued, "We've been waiting six months for the Mongoose bikes to come in. How about one of those?" He pointed to a bike that looked like it had been assembled by a blindfolded possum. Jimmy's face twisted in disgust. "I'll get laughed at riding that thing!"

"Well, then I can’t help you," the shop owner shrugged.

Jimmy's eyes darted to a bike in the window. "What about that one?"

The shop owner raised an eyebrow. "That one? Yeah, I’d buy that one. I had my birthday coming up and could buy that one," Jimmy said, trying to sound casual.

The shop owner paused dramatically. "That one is $750."

"WHAT?!" Jimmy's jaw dropped faster than a hot potato. "Why so much? The others were $500!"

The shop owner leaned in like he was about to share a secret recipe. "If you want GOOD and FAST, it’s not going to be CHEAP. If you want CHEAP and FAST," he pointed to the ugly bike, "I can help you right now. If you wanted it CHEAP and GOOD, you should have ordered it three months ago, like that other kid did."

Jimmy left the shop, his dreams of mongoose glory dashed, and a newfound appreciation for the complexities of bike economics.

The reality is this can be applied to every facet of your life.

Don’t be Jimmy!!!