Manguel and Bowling

I thought this week’s Manguel reading made you think a little. You had to try and imagine the first person to ever write something down. Not just temporarily either, this writing had to have a lasting effect, so at a later time another person or the creator could return and recognize what was written. It’s hard to believe that this person had a conscious knowledge that others would need to read what he had written. What a huge revelation it must have been to notice the advantages that came with writing. It’s interesting to see how far something we take for granted has come since its inception.
Well it’s the week before spring break needless to say all students are a little on edge. I have a lot of work to due before break, but I’m exciting for next Thursday because I’m on the UW club bowling team and we’re traveling to St. Louis for sectionals. It our last tournament of the year and only the top 4 teams and top 4 individuals move on to nationals. I say it’s our last tournament of the year because we haven’t been all that close to moving on in the two years I’ve been on the team. It’s a lot of fun and until we get there I’m always thinking about it. Bowling is the one sport I excel at and I’ve been doing it since I was twelve. Back in high school I bowled 5 days a week and carried over a 200-pin average. Most people who bowl for fun don’t realize all that goes into the game. Starting with the lane, there are many different oil patterns to choose from and each one changes how the ball reacts on the lane. Not to mention there are wood and synthetic lane surfaces to alter the game. The ball itself can have several different “cover stocks” or outer coatings and each ball has a uniquely designed weight block at its core to produce the hook that bowlers are after. These are just some of the things that change the game and keep it challenging no matter how long you’ve been competing. I could go on but for fear of boring the few people that read this, I’ll simply say, next time someone tells you they’re a bowler, consider them an athlete and not a pizza eating beer drinker with a bowling hobby.