Bowling: The Game of Life
The cheesy comparison of bowling and life. Cuz why not.
Last year, a few friends and I set out to create “LA’s Illest Bowling League”, Rolling Balls, as an outlet to bowl off some steam after a long week of work while getting the chance to have fun with people we otherwise would seldom see. We also hoped it would be a great networking opportunity for people to share ideas and find ways to potentially work together, or at least get a break from their daily grind.
There’s evidence that bowling dates back to 3200 BC, making it one of the oldest and most widely played games in the world. There’s a reason almost everyone on earth has bowled before, including Queen Latifa.
“Bowling, I like bowling. I’ve been getting into this bowling thing. It’s kinda fun.” — Queen Latifa
We learned that running a bowling league isn’t as easy as we had anticipated. Finding teams, collecting money, scoring, scheduling, and dealing with poorly run bowling alleys takes a lot of time. But what doesn’t take work won’t last, and the league is paying off in dividends. The climax of anyone’s night is that magic moment that happens if you’re lucky enough to enjoy it.
Bowling a strike is one of life’s sweetest joys.
I don’t care how stressed or overwhelmed you are with work, or how many times you cried while watching Still Alice, watching those ten pins fall in any form or fashion will momentarily take your breath away, escape you from your troubles, and bring you to a state of pure bliss, bringing a smile you simply can’t contain. Watching people in that moment, and being in it myself, makes all the trouble of managing the league worth it.
What I learned after two seasons of Rolling Balls is that bowling is a lot like the game of life. I know it’s cheesy, but creative writing can be cheesy, so stay with me here…
10 Ways Bowling Is The Game of Life
1. Teams change, people come and go
In our bowling league, teams of four with two subs are expected to play every Thursday at 8pm for 13 weeks. Just as in life, everyone’s got their priorities, and these priorities change over time. You will usually see the consistent 2-3 people per team, but also an array of people that change every week. In life, there are some people you can count on. They’re going to show up no matter what. The other drifters will come and go as they please, either spreading positive vibes or leaving a bad taste in your mouth and goose-eggs on the scoreboard. An important reminder to be grateful for the friends that show up for you when you need them.
“The two most important things in life are good friends and a strong bullpen.” — Bob Lemon
2. Its a team sport, but you play for yourself
In bowling, you win or lose a collective group. Sometimes your best bowler has a rough night on the lanes, but if you’re in good company, the teammate you least expect will show up and carry the slack. In life, we operate in teams. Your family, your friends, your coworkers. You’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with, but in the end, the only person you have to live with forever is you. Compete against yourself, don’t look at the scoreboard, and always be the best you can be.
“Individual commitment to a group effort — that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.” — Vince Lombardi
3. Sometime you strike
A strike can come in many forms and fashions. That perfect release you’ve practiced time and again often ends with your signature strike. Other times, the release may feel funky, and you roll a “Brooklyn Strike”, hitting left of the front pin pushing all the pins down to the right. In life, we ride the highs (strikes) as long as we can. There’s no better feeling than seeing all your hard work manifest in the results you wanted. But, sometimes you get lucky and those results come by a chance of blind faith.
“Luck is where opportunity meets preparation.” — Seneca
4. Sometimes you spare
Even when you give it your best, you don’t get what you want in life. As humans, we procrastinate, we forget, we misjudge, and we misfire. Just as in bowling, we get second chances in life. We get back up to the plate and we make up for lost time. We ask for forgiveness, and we redeem ourselves. You only get one second chance though, so you better make the best of it.
5. Sometimes you’re in the gutter
We try very hard to repeat that slow, systematic approach, pull our ball back in form, aim at the diamonds, and release with faith in God. But God has other plans, and throws you into the gutter with a lonely roll into the dark abyss. We’ve all been there, even the best of us. It’s a good reminder to appreciate the little things and learn from your mistakes.
“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” — Oscar Wilde
6. There’s a lot of ways to roll the ball
Three Finger Straight Roll. Two Finger Spin. The Knuckler. The Carson Palmer. The Huck. The Floater. Between The legs. The list goes on. Every bowler has a unique way of approaching the lane and rolling the ball. Just as in life, everyone has their own sense of style and approach to the game. The important thing is to be true to who you are, and practice your approach everyday. Muscle memory and repetition will eventually strengthen whatever style you chose.
7. Learn from your mentors
The best way to learn and grow in life is to have a good mentor. When it comes to rolling that polyurethane sphere down those wax-primed maple lanes the same philosophy applies. Find someone who is better than you and learn from them. Ask questions and don’t be afraid for some criticism.
“Criticism is something we can avoid easily by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.” — Aristotle
8. Sometime you need bumpers
We beat to our own drum, we sing to our own tune, and we bowl with our unique style. Sometimes it gets us where we want to go, other times we end up in weird dark places. It’s those times where we need a helping hand, or a smart friend to guide us along our journey, like the lovely bumpers at a bowling alley — gently protecting us from falling in the gutter and heading down that lonely path.
9. Friendly Competition
There’s no denying the sense of friendly competition that lives inside each of us. We want to win. It makes us feel good. It ranks us above the rest. Some have it more than others (I’m guilty of this), and it’s healthy. The reason I love competition is because it pushes us to be the best we can be as individuals. If we didn’t have people pushing us we would be complacent and the results would be nil. So take a jab, smirk at your opponent, roar at the wins, cry at the losses, and bowl the best you can bowl.
“Believing that your competition is stronger and better than you pushes you to better yourselves.”— Simon Sinek
10. Its all about having fun
In the end, it’s important to remember that bowling, like life, is about having fun. You can never take yourself too seriously, because it’s not really about winning or losing, it’s about the journey and the friends you make along the way. So try a grandma roll, let someone take your shot, high five your opponent, dress up as a giraffe, and dance!
“Fun is one of the most important — and underrated — ingredients in any successful venture. If you’re not having fun, then it’s probably time to call it quits and try something else.” — Richard Branson
This is an ode to the Rolling Balls Super Roll. Tonight at 8pm. The 4 finalists will be rolling off, and one team will be crowned champions. Good luck to all the teams, and best of luck to mine.
