The Joy of Bowling

I've been bowling ever since I was a little kid. When I was in 6th grade, I joined a Saturday morning bowling league with 3 friends from school. From 6th grade through high school, Saturday morning became "bowling day". The best thing about bowling day was getting to spend 2 hours with friends, doing something I enjoyed, and something mildly competitive. Over time, I became a decent bowler, but it was still always about fun.

I went away to college and didn't bowl for a couple of years. Then, my junior year, I went to the bowling alley on a whim to see if I could sub in a league. Well, it just so happened there was a league with an opening for a full fledged team. I quickly called 2 friends and we made a team. That league is one of my favorite college memories.

Then my wife and I had kids, and my bowling was curtailed. When I finally did start again, it was in a 2 game a week league over lunch on Tuesdays. I've been bowling in this league now for 4 years, and while I enjoy myself, it's never been as fun as it was when I was younger. I figured I'd never recapture the joy I felt when I was younger. However, this made it easier for me to turn people down when asked to join other leagues.

That was until this Tuesday. Our league is a mixed league, and my teammate and I were paired against 2 women (one of whom is a very good bowler). They were nice people and we were having a pleasant time. None of us were bowling great, but the 1st game was close. In fact, we were tied in the 10th frame. I was up to bowl, and the super good bowler on the other team was up. She went first and got a strike. So, now I had to strike, and I did. She went again and got another strike! Then I went and got another strike. When I got back to the ball return, she was waiting for me with a high five...that was very unexpected. We each had 1 ball to throw. The other player went first and got a 3rd strike in the 10th frame. I greeted her with a high five. Now, I needed to strike just to tie the game. I managed to get the 3rd strike. Our teammates were thrilled, and everyone had a good time.

The 2nd game was eerily similar. We ended up winning by 5 pins. But when we left, my teammate and I were talking more about what a great time we had than the winning or losing, which has been rare in this league.

Those 2 games recaptured everything I loved about bowling as a kid. It was about fun, with a little competition sprinkled in. Hopefully we can continue that attitude for weeks to come. Of course ,that will make it much harder for me to say no next time someone asks me to join another league!