Old Man Slowpitch

My cousin asked me this year if I wanted to play softball with him one night a week.  He's 16 years younger than I, plays 4 nights a week plus weekend tournaments. 

I remember those days. Three nights a week plus weekends.  The final year in which I did that much I was 35, but already playing a little less on weekends.  My body was more achy the mornings after than when I was 25 for sure.

Then I got married again, had two more kids, went to law school in the evenings, and started playing more golf for my summer fun. Now my youngest kids are in sports, I'm coaching two nights a week (plus on the side in the yard), my personal activity of choice in the non-golf season has been bowling, and my 47 year-old body is even more achy the morning after softball.

So of course, when he asked, I told my cousin I'd play. 

So far, so good.  I've still got the pop, if not the consistency.  But I'm starting to work on it again.

It will mean less golf, which is great on the pocketbook. And it will also mean finally getting to play in the one tournament I've been wanting to play in for 25 years, "The Dudley." We may go two-and-out, but at least I'll have something else to scratch off of the bucket list.

And then it will be back to retirement from softball.  Or so I say.  The right 50-and-over team might be hard for me to turn down in three years.