the sara ochs blog

So does it seem weird to anyone else that bowling is so popular among the older generation? I just cannot wrap my head around it. You have to hold a heavy ball with just three fingers, wear shoes that are slippery on the bottom, and maintain your balance in a crouched position on a waxed floor. Add to that that beer is almost always available in the bowling alleys and the judgement of at least half the bowlers is moderately to severely impaired. It sounds like an AARP nightmare.

I bowled a lot with my grandparents when I was little. Like a lot a lot. It baffled me even then that bowling was so popular with the residents of their retirement community. Wait. It was called a retirement village. But seriously, those villagers (village people) loved some bowling. I cannot prove it but I am almost certain that some cash wagers were involved. Competition was fierce and there was more than a little trash talking about members of opposing leagues. My grandparents owned their own bowling balls, shoes, and bags and stored them in a locker at the bowling alley. They were nothing if not committed.

Maybe bowling among retirees is a status thing. Like proving that you are still agile enough to play a game that some youngsters cannot even master. My Gramma had crazy bad arthritis in her fingers but she could still whip a bowling ball down a lane with lightning speed and unbelievable accuracy. Maybe it was to show up the Myrtles and Mildreds that were on supplemental oxygen or used walkers with tennis balls over the front wheels.

I might not ever understand whatever it is that drives bowlers to do what they do. The shoes are ugly, the balls are heavy, I am constantly afraid I will fall, and the smell. Oh, the smell of a bowling alley. It is unmistakeable. So to the bowlers of the world I wish you good luck and Godspeed. I will stick to Wii bowling and the guaranteed victory that comes with playing against preschoolers.