Southern Bowl

I am not going to spend this blog telling you why you should Sign-up for a Bowling League....even though u should. Instead I am going to tell you how a bowling center has made an impact on the person I am today. I know you are saying "ya right", but give me a chance to tell you a story.. I started working at a bowling center in 1998 at the young age of 15. I was the girl that brought you a drink or cheeseburger to your lane. Back then we even had  coffee and pizza carts. I was a shy kid that wasn't really trusting of people. I would never be the first to talk to anyone. I really didn't know or care much about the game of bowling honestly, I just wanted the independence of buying things for myself.  Don't think that overnight I turned into the "talk to anyone who is listening" person that I am today...no way. After awhile people started calling me by name.I don't care who you are that makes you feel important enough to be remembered. I began to find it easier to start conversations. In two days I will have came to my 13th year at Royal Pin. I cant even begin to tell you how may people I have met and became good friends with. I always joke how I have to much of a "heart" of a bowler. I don't even really bowl that much anymore.  it is just that I feel that I owe it to make their night out as best as it can be. I honestly am a people person now and looking back the only thing that has help me come out of my shell..are the bowlers and I am forever in debt to them. When I ask them how they are doing, their kids, their game...I honestly care. I sure there are some  critics out there that are "yeah ok thats your job" but it is more than that to me. I have literally grown-up in a bowling alley, and not meaning because I have been working there so long, but because I have learned so much about life through bowlers. I believe that I wouldn't  be anything close to who I am now if I had not the experience of meeting and growing  with people year after year. I hope that I have made just a smidge of the impact that people in a center has made on me. It really becomes your home. I have recently been transfered to another center and its hard. I think I depended on the interaction with "my bowlers" more than they realize. It gets a little easier day by day, but the first two weeks I honestly cried when I passed. I know that nothing last forever and sometimes things come to an end. But I hope that people know that a bowling center to me is more than just a place of business. It is a place where true friendships and bonds really do happen. So here to you my fellow bowlers ...thank you. Thank you for helping learn that there are great people out there that they just so happen love to bowl. I know people kid about me being a lifer, but that's ok because I couldn't tell you another place of employment where such friendships can be formed between customers and employees. So I leave you with a question...Where is your center??? and what makes you keep returning?? Hope I haven't put you to sleep yet:)