There's a 6-inch-long, 2-inch-wide abrasion on my left leg that looks like hell and hurts even more. That's OK, though, it's been an awesome conversation starter with the ladies.

"Oh my gawd," they screech, "What happened to your leg?"

Got it playing intramural softball on Sunday, I say. Slid into second trying to squeeze out a fielder's choice. We were down by 3 in the bottom of the fifth, and our team hasn't won a game since freshman year.

They look at me like I'm an idiot, and go on to ask, "Aren't you a senior?"

I nod my head and look down in embarrassment, and by now the whole tough-guy-with-the-scar image is gone.

"Was it worth it?" they'll finally ask.

So it got me thinking, was it worth it? Immediately I remember my roommate pouring Bactine on the wound while the rest of my roommates stood there laughing as I screamed like a 7-year-old. Yeah, maybe sliding on Stuart field in shorts wasn't too great of an idea after all.

But then I remember back when I thought softball was for girls and old people, back when there wasn't a better feeling than trotting out on a diamond with eight other guys on a Saturday morning, and back when Benny "the Jet" Rodriguez was the coolest person ever.

Now softball is for the 99.9 percent of us who can't hit 90 mph fastballs, there's no worse feeling than waking up on a Saturday morning, and we realize Benny "the Jet" Rodriguez's career ended in "D3: The Mighty Ducks" as Luis Mendoza, who absolutely was not the coolest person ever.

Back then getting bloody or dirty actually meant you were awesome, and you'd do anything and everything to prove that. Now it means you can't Febreze the shirt you were wearing and actually have to wash it before you wear it again.

After the games back then it'd be time for Dairy Queen or Pizza Hut, then maybe if our parents let us we'd sleep over at the coach's son's house and then stay up all night chugging Surge while playing Donkey Kong.

Now after the games it's time for Marycrest or ramen noodles, then maybe if our schedules let us we'll catch an episode of a TV show and then stay up all night swigging coffee and doing homework.

You see, back then we lived a much simpler life. We put our effort into things that didn't matter, rarely thought twice about consequences, and would look forward to waking up the next morning to do it all over again. We could slide into bases and be proud to answer questions about our bloody legs. Life was fun.

Now, we think our lives aren't so simple. We think we're putting our effort into things that matter, pretend there are more consequences than there actually are, and dread waking up the next morning to do it all over again. We slide into bases now and get ridiculed for trying too hard. Life's not as fun as it used to be.

And yeah, we're only 20-some-years-old ???- at least we can still remember things like the "Sandlot" and Surge.

It's difficult trying to think how to get out of this funless cycle we now call life. But then, when all hope seems lost, I look down and catch a glimpse of the answer.

There's a 6-inch-long, 2-inch-wide abrasion on my left leg that looks like hell and hurts even more. Got it playing intramural softball on Sunday. Slid into second trying to squeeze a few more moments out of my childhood. We were down by 3 in the bottom of the fifth, and our team hasn't won a game since freshman year.

Was it worth it? Absolutely.



hanlonwm@notes.udayton.edu