Bowling Never Gets Old

I once played high school football…I even wrestled on their mat but I was never a first class athlete…and I am comfortable with that. My exploits in both fields will never be well known but when it came to sports in general…I like to think I held my own. Which is why when Deborah suggested we go bowling… when she initially planted the seed I thought, I’m coordinated enough at 66, and enthusiastically agreed. And despite the fact we hadn’t been bowling since 1989 I thought, given my confidence and physical ability, I was going to shine. I know I’m not as strong as I used to be, but after tying up my shoes most balls were much too heavy…so I chose one the children use. “Isn’t that ball a little light?” Deborah asked, (what was that a psyche?) I ignored her veiled rebuke and concentrated on my strike. My feet were planted, I lined it up and was mystified and appalled when my first roll of my first frame became a gutter ball. My confidence was quickly waning I wondered: Is this what the bowling Gods have wrought? “I think you want to knock the pins down?” Deborah smirked as I lined up my second shot. It seemed my brain and arms were at odds with one another they weren’t working together at all and when I rolled my second shot… another gutter ball. I improved and was eventually satisfied with my result… although I found it hard to gauge. Is it golf or is it bowling where it’s good to score your age? No matter…I got a little better as each game did unfold and here is what I learned the more and more we bowled: I may not be the greatest athlete…no crowds…no adulation but I still can have a lot of fun…once I accept my limitations. And when Deborah asked, “Will we be back?” I said, “Of course we would. We may never be great bowlers…but we make these shoes look good!”