I need to make a confession. I need to come clean about an activity in my life at which I am utterly incompetent: bowling. Now I’m certain that there are some reading this thinking, “Don’t feel bad, you can’t be THAT bad.” After three games with the Sr. Youth group two Sundays ago, my highest score was 53. You read that right: 53. Oh, and just to be completely honest, and so that Matthew doesn’t gloat about it in his blog, I did fling the ball backwards. Once. I told you I was incompetent.
The reason I bring this up is that I still truly enjoy bowling. I like renting two-tone shoes, the crack of the pins when others knock them down, and trash-talking the other team. If I were to let my raging inability become my focus, bowling would lose a great deal of its appeal. And, come to think of it, every time I start making my abilities the center of my focus, I quickly lose interest in an endeavor. To be clear, I see the need for, and take some measure of pride in my various skill sets. I just don’t think they ever are the whole of the story. The longer I’m on this planet, the more I’m convinced it’s not supposed to be about toil and shame.
Even as my bowling ball goes slowly rolling towards the seats.
Annemarie
The Daily Cup 
Indeed, not about toil and shame, or about blame. Maybe, take up golf. Two-tone shoes are de rigeur, and the acceptance of high degree of difficulty makes success more possible in many dimensions 🙂
Can’t stand bowling. However, I come from a family of bowlers. My nephew bowled a perfect game a few years back. I remember bowling was one of my mom’s social activities when I was growing up. My brother was about a 200/game bowler 20-30 years ago, now an avid golfer, about a 7 handicap.
Golfing, watching paint dry, watching grass grow…all the same.
Yes! There is something wonderful about being an amateur — a person who does something for love. We face so much pressure to excel; sometimes, we just need to be awful at something while laughing uproariously at ourselves. It’s a great spiritual disciple.