My Body Was Meant For Better Things Than This

Well lets see, it's Wednesday. To some people that's hump day, middle of the work week. Only 2 more days to work. For me & Wayne it's bowling night.

When I was 7, my parents and I moved back to Hamilton. At that time there used to be a small amusement park on the beach strip. One of the attractions there that was open year round was a 5 pin bowling alley. This was 1962 and back then there were no automatic pinsetters, no computer scoring, no bumpers in the gutters and the game was slightly more challenging. My parents and I would go bowling sometimes and I was taught to bowl. Back then in order for your score to count, you had to get the left hand 2 pin. If that corner pin was left standing, you didn't count any of your other pins.

From the age of 7 I have loved bowling. I have bowled on both 5 and 10 pin leagues over the years. I even bowled on a league when I was 8 months pregnant with not one but two of my children. Unfortunately, I have never been a truly good bowler. My usual average is about 145 in 10 pin.

After not bowing on a league for over 20 years, I was invited to join a fun league with friends from church. This was 5 years ago. I was still under 50. By the middle of the 2nd game I could hardley walk. When I finally got home, Wayne figured that I would say 'no more bowling'. Wrong! I figured that if I was this out of shape, I better do something about it. I went back the next week and dragged Wayne along with me.

I have toughed it out, through stiffness and sprains, for good games (I finally broke a 200) and gutter balls, on big teams and small, till the end of the season at the banquet with prizes. I even bowled the winter I had carpal tunnel surgery not once but twice. This meant that for 6 weeks, I bowled left handed.

One of the things that keeps me going back for more punishment every week are the seniors. A large number of our bowlers are retired. We have at least 2 bowlers who are over 80, one of whom had hip surgery last summer and was back bowling by Christmas.

I want to be like them! My mother has willed herself into old age. At 82, this April, I agree that she's no spring chicken, but her get up and go left about 5 years ago. She used to be a reasonalby active person. She liked to go out shopping, camped in her Conversion Van in the summer, and liked to get out. Once she had to give up driving, she convinced herself that she was old and couldn't do any of the things that she used to.

I refuse to give in to aging. Sure, I know that I'm getting older, but that doesn't mean that I have to be old. For 1 1/2 years I worked 2 jobs, my office job and a part-time retail job at a luggage store. Yes I was tired, but I lost 25 pounds. When I quit this past Christmas I vowed that I would not put that weight back on. I let myself enjoy some down time until February. Then I joined Curves. I try to get out 3 nights a week, but most weeks its only twice.

I'm looking forward to aging gracefully, but I have no plans on being old. I want to be active both mentally and physically, busy doing the things that I don't have the time to do now.

I have 2 coasters that state my feelings on aging. One says "You are only young once. But you can stay immature indefinitely". The other one says "Growing old is mandatory. Growing up is optional". I keep them where I can see them often and remind myself of the sayings whenever I start to feel old.

Thinking Young Helps You To Stay Young.