Just like walking into a donut store or shuffling through an assortment of your favorite clothing line at the mall, sometimes decisions can be difficult. In my situation, the choice of a maple bar or an apple fritter, or the long sleeve shirt instead of the tank top seem elementary.

My decision was a little more life-altering, as I had to decide whether to finally get a real job or continue to try and chase my dream.

In years past, everything was laid out and no decisions were necessary, high school baseball through college ball and into pro-ball, everything was pre-determined.

As in anything, the easiest way would have been to just listen to those around me and go with majority rules. But in this case it had to be a decision purely on my own.

A large part of me wanted to settle down and catch up with so many of my friends as they continue to gain more assets and save for the future. The other part of me told me to keep truckin’, and my body and arm firmly agreed.

Though for the first time in my career I feel I am leaving something more important then baseball behind me, something that could last a lifetime, here I am chasing a dream and playing the game I love.

So, after taking one last trip around Bellingham to say my final goodbyes for the summer, me, my dad and a car full of junk spent the next three days driving the flatlands and sparking laughter by good conversation and delirious chatter.

We enjoyed the simplicity that is a long road trip while thinking about the long, diverse road that lies in things left behind and those that lie ahead — knowing that in whichever path chosen there will be detours that lead to both success and failure.

Up to this point in my life, the one and only constant has been family and baseball.

So here I am, lacing the cleats back up and re-focusing on being as successful as I can and playing for the love of the game and for fun, but also for hopeful advancement.

I’m trying to find the perfect medium of coming to the yard with a smile on my face, yet still keeping the eyes on the prize and fulfilling the childhood dream.

Although many may think that the life of a minor league ballplayer is as sweet as a fresh maple bar, I would compare it more to opening the donut store, making the dough, perfecting the maple glaze until that one out of so many sticks out.

Dane Renkert is a pitcher for Fargo-Moorhead of the independent Northern League.

Before this season, he played for Sehome High School, Washington State University, the Bellingham Bells and in the Milwaukee Brewers’ minor league system. He will be writing about his thoughts and experiences this season. Renkert can be reached at fishingfordreams@hotmail.com.