Not quite as profound as Shakespeare’s question of “To be or not to be” from Hamlet, but always fun to imitate. Over the past four years as a Big Sister, I’ve participated in several group bowling outings with my Little Sisters. I found that the more I reacquainted myself with bowling, the more I enjoyed it. So when a recent milestone birthday rolled around (so punny), I celebrated it at a bar where we could bowl. Keeping in theme, my husband gave me bowling shoes as a gift.
So what’s the next logical step when you don’t have to rent used shoes any longer? Of course, you join a league. I contacted our local bowling alley and found out they had openings in their 50+ league. I just made it in (wink, wink).
I have learned a few things in my five weeks of league play.
Age – Even though I might be one of the younger bowlers, it’s not an advantage. There are ladies decades older than me using heavier bowling balls and kicking my ass.
Advice – Experienced bowlers (especially the guys) can’t resist giving advice. And I noticed that they don’t mind sitting a little too close when giving it. Bowling in a league lasts about three hours. By the end of my first afternoon, I suffered from advice overload and my bowling got worse. I might not have my own custom bowling bowl, or be able to put spin on my ball, but my mouth works just fine. In the kindest way possible, I said, “Stop already.”
Camaraderie – Bowling is very social. It’s not just encouraging and cheering for your teammates, it’s also congratulating your opponents when they do well. And each week, I meet four new people who all have interesting stories. On a touching note, I heard one old timer say, “Well after this, it’s back to sitting alone in my room.” It almost broke my heart.
Practice – It works. I’ve gone from crappy games below 80 to exciting games over 140. One piece of advice that has actually worked for me is: “Slow down and concentrate.”
Happy Dance – Everyone loves it when I get a spare or a strike.
So to answer the original question, it’s obvious I chose to bowl. Bowling might not be your thing, but I hope there is something in your life that makes you do the Happy Dance.
