Have you ever gone bowling? I don't know if bowling is something that has gone completely out of style these days or not.
My dad was a good bowler and for most of his adult life, he regularly bowled on a league, sometimes two leagues, if I remember correctly.
As a teenager, my brother set pins in a bowling alley a couple of blocks from our home. This was, of course, before automatic pin setters were installed in all alleys. Prior to that, the teenage boys who took on that job had to be quick and pay attention at all times.
When I was in college, there was a small bowling alley in the town and I frequently double dated with a good girlfriend, the guy she was going with and . . . now this is weird but I can't for the life of me remember who was my date. (Oh, my brain cells must be elsewhere tonight or else that info is buried so deeply that I can't bring it forth at the present moment. What do you want to bet I'll wake up in the middle of the night tonight trying to remember who that guy was.) Anyway, the four of us all liked to go bowling and did so quite a few times.
One New Year's Eve, many (many!) years ago, I had a date with an old friend from high school. (I do remember who he was.) The company he was then working for had a huge holiday gala on that night which we attended. The party was okay, but the company was a large one and since he was a fairly new employee, he didn't know a lot of the people. I knew no one except my date. We left before midnight.
As he was driving me home, he suddenly asked, "You wanna go bowling?"
Why not? To a bowling alley we went. Upon arrival, there were only a couple of other alleys occupied. Evidently, bowling wasn't an activity most people chose to do on New Year's Eve.
I can still remember the dress I had on. A sleeveless, emerald green brocade with matching long-sleeved jacket that ended at the waist. Very classy! Lucky for me, the dress wasn't a long one, but ended just above the knee. I'm sure the rented bowling shoes added some real style to my whole look.
What fun the two of us had that night. We bowled three games and I beat him at every one scoring just over 200 in the last game.
So, have any of you ever gone bowling? What memories does thinking about your bowling experiences bring to mind. Did this silly post jog a memory of a personal bowling experience? Do tell!
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20 comments:
I loved bowling! Took our 3 kids too, they loved it. Now with my bum back and 2 thumbs surgeries, my bowling days are over, sigh. But I'm up for putt putt golf!
Yes, I've been bowling, both kinds, but never belonged to a league. We took our kids a couple of times when they were little, and bowling was an activity that groups would do when we were young. The shoes - ahh the shoes. -Jenn
I've bowled occasionally over my lifetime; no special memories good or bad, though. We do still have an alley in "our" town that seems to do well. Our church has had a social evening there.
We love to go bowling. My Mom was on a league when I was young, as well as Dad. We even did a birthday party for our son with bowling and his friends one time. It's been a while, so that's on our list to do this winter when we need to get out of the house.
Nancy - Sadly, I suppose your dreams of becoming a professional bowler now have had to be given up. ;o) Ah yes, miniature golf! I played a bit of that when I was a young adult.
Jenn - Yep, bowling . . . and roller skating at an indoor rink! Did you do that?
Michelle - I think bowling is a good activity in which you have time for conversation and can get to know people. Your church social at a bowling alley sounds like it would be fun.
Kristina - Sounds like a fun winter activity to me. Hope you do it!
laurie - It's surprising that your husband is a great bowler, but you've never tried it. I think I see a date for the two of you this winter . . . at the bowling alley!
The first time I went bowling was when I was a kid, those "duck pins" I think they were called! I went a few times as an adult, but it wasn't really something I enjoyed! I always preferred a walk in the woods.
I used to bowl weekly on a church league. I bowled 250+. I haven't been bowling in about 7 years now. I just don't have the balance for it now. Now, it's just online gaming.
Such a cute memory!!!!
Would love to have a picture of the 2 of you, in your fancy-get-up-finery, at the bowling lane. Soooo cute!!!!
Nope, never bowled. But then, I never did anything athletic. Maybe it was the way I was brought up... "Encased in a bubble" way. -sigh-
2 of our grandsons bowl. In HS. The younger one, is trying out for the Freshman team soon. So people do still bowl. Just not me.
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Lovely post, and what an image of you in your dress and bowling shoes! I had to take a phys ed class or two in college. I was an older student, so I was about 38 when I took the bowling class. I'd never been bowling, but I got the hang of it and was pretty good in a moderate way--I bowled 130-160 consistently, which flummoxed the young guys in the class who would fire off rapid shots but only knock down one pin. My ball trundled sedately down the alley, knocking over pins that wobbled around until they knocked over others, so usually 8 or 9 fell. Once I bowled something like 230 or 260, an almost perfect game, but only once. I wanted to keep bowling after the class but had no partners or anyone I knew in my area who bowled so I never did it again after class ended. So sad. I loved it.
Rain - Well, a walk in the woods would certainly be a quieter and more meditative way to spend your time. Can't say I blame you!
J.L. Murphey - You were a 250+ bowler?! Good gracious, you were good!
wisps of words - I've never heard of a high school bowling team! See? You can learn something new every day, can't you?! ;o}
My dad taught us to bowl; a happy memory. I've never been very good, usually in the 130s range, but enjoyed taking my son occasionally when he was a kid. It's much more enjoyable now that they can't smoke inside, but they still seem to blast music too loud.
Like the rest of your readers, I love the image I have of a young you out bowling in your fine dress. Many years ago, some of the young folks used to go bowling after church on Sunday night. I still remember those good times like they were yesterday.
Many years ago my in laws bowled lots...I had gone with them maybe 4 times. Then years later my husband took the girls and I bowling...I got 5 strikes in a row, then the wheels fell off. LOL. So sad. Good bowler or bad...it can be fun. Blessings, xoxo, Susie
I always liked bowling but later with the RA it was not fun so I stopped. I belonged to several leagues and I remember I got a silver dish once for "most improved bowler"...that didn't take much since I wasn't very good to begin with! LOL!
Granny Sue - Your bowling abilities have proven that "slow and steady wins the race!" It's not too late . . . you could always start bowling again! :o]
tpals - Although I haven't been in a bowling alley for years, I have no trouble believing they blast awful music(?) in there, too. I know I must be an old fuddy duddy but I just hate it when I walk into a business where today's, loud, unpleasant music is blaring. (Told you I was an old fuddy duddy.)
Hill Top Post - Isn't it fun to think back on those things that have happened in the past? Some memories stick with us plain as day. Sigh.
Susie - " . . . then the wheels fell off." Got a laugh out of that! The wheels fell off and my ball wouldn't stay out of the gutter. Have had that happen more than once!
Sam I Am - But you must have improved a lot!! ;o)
What a great memory. 24-hour bowling alleys help! Can't say I was ever much of a bowler. It just wasn't something folks I knew did. Consequently, I'm the last person anyone would want on their team! ;)
Leigh - I wonder why bowling has fallen out of favor (if, indeed, it has) these days? It's exercise, it's social, it's a "sport" that is not passive as so many sports strike me as being. Watching golf or football or soccer can certainly be entertaining but it's not the same as getting up and moving, to my mind anyway. :o\
P.S. I'd want you on my team.
I often regret that I didn't bowl. Maybe I should start. There is a bowling alley in Eagle Bend. Phil
Phil - It's never too late!!
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