Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Bowling alone

I joined a bowling league to meet new people. Yes, it was also to get better as a bowler, but I can do that during weekday afternoons, which I have done the last couple of months. A league offers camaraderie, competition, and conversation. Or so I hoped.

Tonight was my first league night. The place was very full. But in my league, I was the only participant.

It's called "Brunswick Ball League," in which participants get a new ball. Since my only ball is an old rubber thing with a suddenly-outdated grip for me, this league made sense. It's for people new to leagues, with tips offered by the manager.

Why was I the only person in this league? Bowling on two lanes by myself, while there are four others per lane everywhere else in the building, made me feel quite conspicuous. Bowling as crappily as I did made it an embarrassing night.

Either I'm getting at least one other person to start bowling with me, or I'm telling Dave (the manager) that we might as well do this during a weekday afternoon.

For the record, my first game didn't even break 100, and my high game (142) was lower than my average the last time I bowled (150). I still have a lot of inconsistencies to work out. Tonight was a culture shock for me, and I wished I had someone else to share that with.

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