A few months ago, I went to a bar in DeKalb

It was a law student thing. Free beer (Miller Lite). Free pizza (thin crust).

Some law students I got along with. Others repulse me.

I am coming to the realization that the ones who do not repulse me are the ones who are fairly older than me.

There are many of them who are younger than me or are my age. They were at the bar last night too. Most of them I can't stand. You see these students at the bar more often.

One of them had a popped collar (this makes fun of itself, doesn't it?). He and his friends went over to play Golden Tee. Needless macho competition expressed through a video game about golf. Fun.

Then there are the girls who still dress all slutty like sorority girls, trying to fall all over guys who are acting like frat boys. Gotta love that Greek scene. Yeah...

What's even more fun are the girls who are badly overweight and still try to do that. Shameless self-denial. More fun!

Some of the guys just stared at and/or flirted with the waitresses. Classy. Her steroid-popping, steel-lifting boyfriend would kick their asses if he was there. Maybe that guy is even sitting at the bar. Who knows?

There was a professor there. He's got to be in his 50s. Dude, don't you have a family or something?

It was crowded. I absolutely hate overly crowded bars. I hate it when you can't move without almost knocking someone else's or my own drink over. Got me to thinking...

I think I have officially tired of the college bar scene. Then too, I really didn't anticipate the law school social scene to be this much like undergrad. I expected a little more maturity. As usual, I was wrong.

Still, I don't need to engage in stupid, macho competitions to prove my worth as a man. I don't need to hit on or flirt with girls who seem to think that they need men to give them attention. I don't need to be around a whole bunch of people who are in a bar for the sake of being in a bar.

I have a loving, attractive girlfriend. I like a little different flavor in my beer than what even Miller Lite has to offer. I want to sit in a bar and drink those various beers and have a conversation where I can actually hear myself speak. Is that so wrong?

As I left the bar last night, I thought to myself, "I will have no trouble leaving the college scene behind." I really feel that I'm ready to leave that whole undergrad scene behind and get on with the rest of my life.

Maybe I'm just getting older, but there's no shame in acting your age.

Besides, my life's far from over...it's just beginning.