Because Barbara Brown is just that good at convincing me to do things, I ended up as the last-to-be-picked substitute on a summer bowling league. The first and only time I ever bowled I was about 10 and my mother made my father take me with him so she could get a break. Dad was a big time bowler. Won the New Jersey State Championship one year as a member of the Knights of Columbus team.
I didn’t do as well. My high score of 75 went down with each succeeding game. I found I didn’t have the strength to throw the ball with one hand so had to stand at the line and throw with two hands from between my legs.
I must say that in general, bowlers are very nice and helpful people. None of them tried to run me out of the place for what I was doing to a game they clearly loved and did well. They even offered some helpful hints… like, who knew there was a foul line?
I’ll be taking next week off in the hope that my arms will be better if I give them two weeks to heal. Typing today is happening only because I’ve taken four tylenol and am resting my hands on the keyboard so my arms are not being asked to bear any weight.
How I never won an athlete of the year award will always be a mystery to me.