I was a pretty busy kid.  I played a little baseball, basketball, hockey and soccer.  I never concentrated on any of them enough to have particular prowess.  I am glad a did a little of everything growing up.  I was in theater, choir and band too.  I could have been a cast member of Glee.

Most of those activities I did by myself.  My brother was two years younger than me, and the only organized sport he played was hockey.  We were always too distant on age to play on the same team but we did go to the outdoor rink together a couple blocks from our house.  We would play almost every night until our toes froze.

There was one parental combo ’sport’ I participated in: bowling.  My mother was really good at it.  When I was a kid the local CBS affiliate did a bowling show.  I can’t remember if it was weekly or less frequently, but Mom was on the show at least once.  I used to go to the lanes with her and watch, and eventually I would score games (this is before computers did all of that).  Mom started signing me up for kid’s leagues.  Initially I was not good, and no where near as good as my classmates.  I didn’t have the discipline or technique.  I got very upset at myself for mistakes.  I didn’t enjoy it.  While other kids were out to have fun, I wanted to be really good like my Mom.  But I didn’t stop playing though high school and despite my issues I got better.  I don’t think I ever had a great time.  In college I stopped playing.  That is until one night I ventured out to “Rock-n-Bowl”.  It was one of those nights which is more like a party at the lanes.  People threw down a few beers and tossed a ball at the pins.  They also had a strike contest which I signed up for for no particular reason.

They would pit you against someone and if you threw more strikes than them out of five opportunities you move on to face the next person.

Having not played in a couple years I didn’t expect to get far.  But I did.  I got to the finals and with a good sized mass watching me and some other guy I managed to hit 4 out of 5.  I won a bowling ball, bag and shoes.  I am not sure what time it was but I called my Mom and told her the story.

Sometimes your enjoyment of something can be delayed.

I still have the ball.