The view from Lane 1

In the bowling alley yesterday, televised sports radiated from a dozen or more big, big TV screens positioned a distance above eye level of the lanes. The screens showed sports interviews, sports opinions and clips from games a day or days before, and opinions on those games. 

My family went to the bowling and games place because a couple of weeks ago I mentioned my next birthday would be number 75. “I count that as an accomplishment,” I said at the supper table. My daughter asked, “Well, Dad, what do you want to do on your birthday?” I thought for a few seconds and said, “Bowling. I want to go bowling.” Everybody agreed that was doable. “So,” my daughter said, “we are going bowling on Dad’s 75th birthday.” I said, “And pool. I’m not sure how good my vision will line up for shots, but I would like to play a game of pool.”

So, yesterday the five of us went to an alley of pool in Bradenton. We played for two games. None of us had bowled in a long time. It showed. I got a spare first frame of both games and another in frame eight of the second game, but otherwise did not do well. I used my walker for balance in all frames. It keeps me upright.

The last three frames, I had to drag myself to the line. On the eighth frame I considered saying, “That’s enough.” But I have never said that in any game, competitive or not, and certainly was not about to start on my birthday game. I got a spare that frame, and then a 1 on frame nine and 3 on frame 10. We did not give my legs and balance a test by shooting pool. Still, I had a good time.

I should mention that my 75th birthday is still about 10 days away, but we celebrated yesterday because my youngest son will be at an Army school on my actual birthday.

I also mention, concerning the really big TV screens, on the sports reporting programs, the anchors were black women and the reporters were black men. No white men or women in front of the cameras. Same with the sports opinion programs. No white people. But we still need Affirmative Action? We still need race-based hiring programs?

Oh, well. Happy birthday to me.