Bowling

I went bowling. Quit laughing, it wasn't that bad. Of course, I discovered a few odd little things to keep an eye on. Like, the breaks that I never use in day-to-day life won't completely hold against me swinging a 12 pound bowling ball without having the chair shift just a little. Which makes it a little harder, especially since it isn't predictable. Then there is the fact that it hurts when you knock the ball against the chair frame on the forward swing. Yeah, that's a vibration that shoots through my arm and leaves me shaking my hand. Why do we shake body parts that sting, it doesn't change anything, but we do it. I also discovered that bowling without a towel on my lap to catch the oil that the ball picks up leaves some interesting marks on my jeans. Did you know they put oil on the lanes and that it matters a lot? I'm learning.

I thought about putting up the bumpers and even using a ramp like the kids use. There wouldn't have been anything wrong with it, but it didn't feel right. I wanted to try and figure this out the full way. Where I got success only when I actually did it "right". And besides, I want to be able to compare and see if I get better over time.

I didn't do bad, but I didn't do good either. For some reason, I was much better with the second ball. Including a number of occasions where I didn't hit a single thing on the first ball, and still managed a spare. Sadly, I couldn't seem to get that to work on the first ball. Oh well, next time!

Someone asked why I was bothering. Well, for starters I'm dating someone who bowls a lot, and this is something we can try together. But there is also an appeal to finding a sport where I can compete. It's no impact, and the only one I have to worry about is me. I miss having a sport where I work to increase my skills. I miss the challenge, and the focus that that kind of activity can give me.

I could skip the weird little stares that I got, but it could be that I would throw my hands up with glee if I hit a single pin.