Final answer:
The speaker reflects on the challenges and hardships they faced on the path to success.
Step-by-step explanation:
The best statement that summarizes the excerpt from "I Never Had It Made" is:
b) The speaker reflects on the challenges and hardships they faced on the path to success.
In the excerpt, the speaker describes the romanticized idea of being a successful literary man but acknowledges the challenges and unsatisfaction that come with it. They mention regrets of not playing football in college and not getting overseas during the war. This reflects the reality of the 1920s, which was a decade of social changes, economic growth, and cultural shifts but also a time of challenges and uncertainties.