Life has been "peaceful" as the McCann brothers posited in Secondhand Lions. The overall scene is serene, but circumstances have been occurring within the framework to keep things exciting.
Tonight, I attended my good friend John's 22nd birthday party at a bowling alley. It was a bit of a hole-in-the-wall place, with perhaps ten lanes, crummy pizza at ridiculous prices (the man of the hours described it as "Two frozen pizzas stacked on top of each other for $15. It's not worth it"), and an eclectic mix of tunes pumping on the sound system. The last part was interesting to my friend and the other guests - 2 song choices for a dollar. John went first, picking out Florence and the Machine & Garbage. Following that, the lovely Hanna chose Britney Spears and Carly Rae Jepsen.
As for the bowling itself. John has excellent form as a bowler and ended the first game at 149, with 5 strikes. I matched him with the first two strikes, but what followed in between were petering 1's and 5's, ending with 68. Which brought to light a quirk of the lanes - Sometimes a gutterball would inexplicably ramp up off the wall and ricochet a backdoor mechanism, knocking down pins from beyond the grave. Hanna lobbed the ball left-handedly down the lane, ending with a 54. She was cheerful about her throws though, and I hope her skills improve as the night goes on. There is almost a bell curve for non-bowlers like me, where practice and endurance trade-off as the night continues. Steph, the last lady in my set, was in the same boat as me, being that she remembered the idea of bowling, but it was like a bike left in the rain - the gears needed a little work before the rust wore off for a smooth ride. Her final score was 62, I believe.
Now, as to the total experience: John is a great fellow to know - humble with many talents, a rare combination that leaves me in admiration of his abilities without resentment towards any arrogance he might have assumed as an additional swagger. He performed in a Beastie Boys cover band called "Trip N' Balls" as a one-time joke at a friend's club. Their show went well and they got asked to do it again. They've continued playing shows, and are going to have a New Years concert soon. Look 'em up on Facebook if you are in the Indianapolis area.
Steph and Hanna I met for the first time tonight. They had excellent senses of humor and were pleasant conversationalists. I was slightly distracted by the snowfalling and the implications of a safe trip home before midnight and snow clogs the roads. Friends of John, if you read this, yes, I really wish that I could have had more time in which to get to know you, for you all made a favorable impression on me. The three late arrivals looked like Sons of Anarchy's younger and wittier cousins from the Midwest, with their leather jackets and satisfied, comfortable-with-themselves, personalities.
I had a wedding I committed to attending tomorrow and had to break off after a game to return home, rest and ready myself for that. I am happy for my friends, hitting their transitional points in their lives & I pray their rides are smooth, and in the absence of that, that what they learn from the obstacles grows the bonds of their character and relationships with others.
As an endnote, I am soon leaving my library job of nearly five-and-a-half years. This is a bittersweet time, as I truly enjoy the company of those with whom I've been working. There has arisen a job opportunity in a field of my studies in college, and between learning the ropes of that position and the obligations of a new semester, something had to give. This job is something that I've held for a quarter of my life and the experiences and lessons I've learned have grown me as a person - realizing that I can do certain services that are a bit outside my typical comfort zone.
I am a closeted perfectionist - not wanting to let anyone see what I am doing until I feel confident that I know how to do it reasonably well. I invest myself in my work & want people to like it. It took a while to learn a happy medium between distancing myself from my work and taking feedback too personally. I am excited and nervous about this new stage in life, it is hard to be vulnerable, but sometimes I must risk failing to have an opportunity to reap a reward.
Lord, give me the patience, wisdom, and fortitude as I need it. I may be stubborn sometimes, but I thank You for not giving up and gently encouraging Me to let go to the things keeping Me from growing. I need Thee every hour, and I learn anew the depth of Your wonders in the everyday.
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