I Scream, You Scream, We Scream, Bowling

Last Thursday began my seventh season bowling at my company's league. There's actually two different leagues at different locations. For the first three seaons, I've bowled at one league due to the proximity of my office. I still recall my frequent 80 and 90 pin games during the first season or two. That seemed so long ago. By the beginning of the third, my average peaked in the 130s & folks in the league were commenting left and right on my improvement.

I think bowling was more exciting back then. Whenever I would strike, I would scream like a banshee and jump up and down back to my seat. Some of my fellow bowlers looked aghast whenever I did that, especially when they're about to throw a ball. Others would get a kick out of it. My screams were legendary.

I kid you not. It got to the point that folks would know when I'm not bowling by my screams. At least that's what my team teased me about the rare week I wasn't bowling.

My most memorable scream moment occurred during one of our last games of the evening. It was down to the tenth frame and we were behind like about 20 pins (Yeah! Yeah! Typical scenario every round but whatever...*LOL*). I only had one other teammate playing with me, our third was absent. Both of us bowled like shit but then again so did the other team yet with three players, they had the edge. I think I had a spare in the ninth. So Hemingway, I throw my first ball and it's a strike. Cue in the screaming and jumping. (You know you wanna hear it...*LOL*) One of the ladies bowling in the next lanes wondered if we won. I shrugged my shoulders. I threw my next ball and it was also a strike. Cue in the screaming and jumping yet again. Could I end on a turkey? I threw my last ball but unfortunately it was off & I only knocked 6 pins, bringing my score to 114. So my former co-worker, now co-employee, went up and threw her first ball. She got a strike. I screamed for her...*LOL*. She then throws her next ball and gets another strike. By this time I'm delirious with joy. She then messes up her last ball and picks up 4 pins. I forget her final score and she'll have to write her own blog to share it with you...*LOL*. But we wound up winning the game by 2 pins. That was freaky.

Near the end of my third season bowling, I was part of a group that was transferred to another office further north. As a result, I wound up bowling at the other company sponsored league. Around my second season at the new league (year 5 of bowling), I lost my legendary scream. Whenever I striked, I would just coolly walk back to my seat and give no reaction. For those who were used to my ranting and raving, it was a bit of a shock. Even to this day, folks will come up to me and want to hear me scream for old times sake.

And now, the 2005-2006 bowling season finds me back at the league I started at. A few of the people I bowled with from the beginning are still there. During the expedition game, one of the old timers came up to me and said, you must not be bowling too good. Any guesses why? *LOL*

It's gonna be an interesting season being back at my old alley. I wonder how I can bring that joy back into bowling. I enjoy the game but now that Ive peaked at a 159 average (although I had a 123 average my first week...sandbagging at its best, baby...*LOL*), I don't know. That old magic seems gone. Maybe it's the crappy rules this particular league has. Maybe it's the constant critiquing people give on my bowling (although it's mostly Reid...*LOL*). Maybe it's my worrying about other issues going on in my life. Whatever it is, it's not the same.

But maybe I can find that muse again. Try to find the true fun in bowling and let it all hang out. Will I? Can I? My, oh my!