"Stay Out Of Malibu Lebowski!"

I decided to head into town to grab lunch at the local greasy spoon/burger joint on Monday…and after finishing what was a great burger, I looked across the street at a place I used to frequent weekly in my younger days…the local bowling alley.



That’s right, I was a bowler. For 3 years I bowled in a youth league (2 with my brother) and although I was hardly what you would consider good, I did manage to raise my average from year 1 to year 2 enough to garner the ‘most improved bowler’ trophy which is still, to this day, one of my prouder accomplishments captured in trophy form. I bowl 10 pin only, and I’d have to say that I bowl anywhere between 120-160…usually on the lower end of that scale. If you’re a good bowler, you in the 160-200 range.



Anyway, I had some time (and a few extra bucks in my pocket) so I drove over and went in. Walking in there was like walking through a time warp…the place looked and ‘felt’ just like it did in the early 90’s…which I’m sure is how it felt in the 60’s and 70’s too. Pictures on the wall of the ‘stars’ of yesteryear, dudes with mustaches who bowled a 300, winners of the 1977 Provincial Midget Boys Championship. There is something timeless about old bowling alleys, and the ‘regulars’ that frequent them. Often times, these people are old, round, and a little ‘socially awkward’…but I say that with respect, partly because I myself am socially awkward, and partly because they just seem like nice people. Its as if bowling alleys are the designated safe havens for the geeks, oddities and outcasts of society…like the club is for cougars and players…and the bar is for drunks and blowhards. This is their home base, and bowling is their sport.



The game itself kind of makes me laugh at its simplicity. Roll a heavy black ball down a lane, and try to knock down all the pins. Do it again to clean up any leftovers. Repeat 10 times. Very simple, yet there is an art to it. It can be played alone, with a friend, with a team, against a team, just for fun or taken seriously. It’s a very adaptable sport when you think of it. You can be shit, and still have fun. Now I don’t have any skills when it comes to bowling, I roll the ball as straight as I can, at a bit of an angle, and hope. The pro’s, they’ve got that handshake, spin the ball release where the ball hugs the gutter before grabbing hold of the wood and spinning into the center pin with crazy force. I can’t do that! I don’t think I’ll ever take bowling serious enough to learn that ‘release’, but as it is, I’m not bad.



I paid for 2 games…and then tacked on another one for a total of 3. The first game was to get the rust off…and I was pretty bad. 1 strike, 1 spare, and a lot of open frames = 105. I was just glad to break 100.

The second game was not much better, though I did manage to score a couple more spares…and rolled a 118.

However, the third game was pretty good. I started to get my ‘feel’ back for the ball, and got into a bit of a rhythm. I started off with a strike, and proceeded to either strike or spare 7 of the 10 frames. I finished up with a 153, which is a good score for me…not great, but good considering it had been about a year since I last played. The whole thing took about an hour and 15 minutes, and I had a good time. I forgot about my problems for an hour, I took a nostalgic trip down memory lane, and I had fun trying to think of cool people who actually bowl…and could only think of 3…and they’re all fictional.

I’m probably going to go again next week…hopefully I can beat my 3 game score from Monday.