This week’s post about bowling was held off a couple of days to allow me to cool down and rethink how and what I put into my blog. I really do want to only put positive things in my blog but the truth is not everything we face everyday is positive.
I also mainly want this blog to be about truth. Truth is not good or bad it is just truth. As such I need to express myself and be truthful, even if at times I look foolish and have to later apologize for something insensitive or dumb.
The following is what I had written a few days ago about bowling – completely unabridged.
- (158) Mr. Pink – 182-167-185=534 (178) +20
- (163) Ruben – 188-157-167=512 (170) +7
- (169) Brian (Subbing for Bill) – 132-191-133=456 (152) -17
- (172) Tod – ABSENT
- (216) James – 172-203-178=553 (184) -32
That makes six games I haven’t made my average. I will be honest, it is REALLY starting to piss me off. Now, before you start to think that I am just a hot-head and like to cry about the lane conditions and how they are inconsistent and that this is a terrible way for the alley, league, USBC or whome-ever-else-is-involved to moderate bowlers averages let me explain my position; I carry a 216 average, have been bowling for just about 30 years, have bowled 5 x 300 games, 2 x 299 games and 1 x 800 series during that time and notice trends or cycles of the lane conditions at 20th Century.
Earlier in the year I started off well enough with my average starting at 212 and then going up and down as it does in the first few weeks of a league. Then starting on week 8 I did not bowl my average in 10 games in a row and my average plummeted to 203.
I scratched and clawed my way back up to 217 over the next 12 weeks which I have to say was pretty difficult but I managed it. Now the lanes have changed drastically again and for six straight games I haven’t made my average.
I have two bowling balls I uses for different lane conditions so that I can compensate for such drastic changes. Twice now the lanes have changed so drastically that neither ball I have work on the lanes worth a shit. I would bet dollars to doughnuts that if you take a look at the VAST majority of the bowlers in the league you would see that they also experience drastic lane differences.
I will say that I know the lanes have oil “patterns” that are changed from time to time. This allows for us as bowlers to learn how to adjust to something new and grow as a bowler, otherwise we would have the same shot every week and much less skill would be involved in getting higher scores.
Maybe this is all just a rant that is uncalled for but it is letting me clear my head and prepare for the next week.
On a final note I do understand that we ALL have times when we have to work harder to get less and that if I didn’t love bowling or even like it I could just pack up my shit and leave the sport altogether.
The truth is I really do LOVE bowling and will always love bowling. I get upset sometimes about the way things have turned out for me given a week or stretch of weeks and have to vent but will always return to the sport I love as long as I am physically able to do so.
More to come…
James Nutt - In the shoes of a forty-something 