Shh...Mine Audition - Mejias

The speaker is playing basketball with friends and family during a summer tradition on Hilton Head. They reflect on their life and feel frustrated that they are not as happy as they expected to be at 29. They have had success and experiences, but it is not fulfilling. Your prison days are over," Cayden yells as he goes in for a layup. Yeah, whatever," I say, panting. Damn, I could barely get that out. I run at least three miles every day. Why am I playing shitty today? Shirts versus skins, family and friends of family are my opponents and teammates. These games are a summer tradition here on Hilton Head. All of us gather at the Sea Pines Plantation for the annual Fourth of July week every year. This means I get to have a full week where I'm not worried about philandering senators and racketeering governors. Thank God. I lift up and turn my head towards the sun as the winning team begins to shit talk. This isn't the life I thought I'd have. I'm twenty-nine. By now I figured I'd be, well, happy. I didn't figure I'd have a broken engagement and be living in the bachelor pad where Cayden enjoys his mistresses. I figured I'd be married to, well, someone like Danielle. Pretty, smart, badass, earthy, traveled. What? Cayden says. He slaps me on my back. What's the problem? I shake my head. Nothing. I love the guy, but there's no use attempting a serious conversation with him. He's a damn jokester. All depth is lost on my brother. You sure? But he is a good brother. Yeah, I smile on the pad's back. I'm getting old. Oh, shut the hell up. He turns to the others. Twenty-nine and he says he's old. Everyone has a laugh at my expense. Those who are in their thirties remember their glory days of two lovers, two at a time, twice a day. In other words, they remember a load of bullshit as I walk back to my parents' house. But through all the rubbish, I have to wonder. Have I had my glory days? No. I've had Princeton, I've had college ball, I've had frat brothers, I've had frat parties, I've had women, I've had Laura, I've had travels. Those should be glory days, right? Damn it's frustrating. It's frustrating to have it all, but it'd never be enough. Never be satisfying. Never.