The End of an Era

(As edited by Abbey, post-published! It's not perfect, but it's much better.)

I am sure that the title would lead one to think that I was going to blog about the death of Don Knotts. I am not going to speak of that loss, but I will speak of the loss of our beloved Joelton Bowling Alley.

For the past several months, Abbey and I have had the pleasure of bowling on our church bowling league. A few weeks ago, the alley announced that it would be closing its doors on February 28. Thus, tonight was our last night to bowl. We had a great time, and I even bowled a Turkey (that's three strikes in a row if you're not hip on bowling lingo). Abbey and I have learned so much from bowling like the term "sleeper"not only refers to a sofa but also means there is a pin hiding behind another one. A "split" is not talking about your pants ripping, but when there are pins with a big space apart. "Pick it up" is not refering to the ball, but when you are trying to get a spare.

On top of having a great time bowling, we also had the opportunity to meet so many great people. Our team consisted of Chris, who often found her name on the highest score list, Barb, who was our church receptionist and just became a Grandmother, and Ryan, our faithful sub and one of the nicest 17 year olds I have ever met (yes, they do exist apparently).

We also met many people who we would have not known otherwise such as Maigon, whose grandfather promised her a car if she would score 250. There was Mr. George who always let out a yell if he didn't bowl a good frame. Cheryl, the bowling president, always prayed for and encouraged the other bowlers. Each person had their own unique personality which contributed to part of the fun of bowling. We thoroughly enjoyed our time.

It's hard to read, but the sign on the right etched a piece of history. The board always had the highest scorers for the previous week. Our teammate Chris will be the last person on this list for her score last week of 198.

Bowling taught me some things. We should look to make friends wherever we go. Certain things can cross all generational lines. We are so blessed to be a part of our wonderful church that has so many wonderful people.