Better Blog Before I Blow It

So as many of you know I have been struggling with bowling for about a decade. I was a decent bowler averaging around 215 and was confident that I was going to get even better. I woke up one day and was unable to roll the ball properly and my average dropped down to like a 175. I have averaged around 190 for the past 7 years, but that is just luck because there was no confidence in my release.
Josh my cousin bowls with us this year and he started out the year on fire. He was basically averaging anywhere from 198-207 all year. I was just basically sticking around that 190-193 area that I have been in limbo with for years. I knew that I needed to do something to get my game back. I decided the first step was to have my bowling balls re-drilled and see if that was the issue (it was about 90% of the issue). The way all my bowling balls were drilled kept me from holding and releasing the ball properly and consistently. I had two bowling balls redone and from then on it was up to me. Was I going to be able to learn how to bowl again? It was about the beginning of December that this was done. I informed Josh he had 5 weeks and I was going to surpass his average. I know that he wanted to kick my butt at my own game since the year started and he was so great out of the gate. Well it only took two weeks to overtake him. However, he decided to bowl great the next week and passed me again. This happened again. I would work my butt off and then he would have a great week and pass me again.
Three weeks ago he bowled pretty bad not even averaging a 170 on the night and I bowled good and passed him with a 199-198 that following week. Two weeks ago I bowled pretty good again and he didn't bowl bad just not as good as me, and I was at 200 and he was down to a 197. That was my biggest lead on him for the year. This last week was pretty cool. During the ten minutes of practice before league started I could find the pocket for anything. I was completely lost. I thought it might be a good sign because usually if you do nothing but strike in practice you are going to suck the rest of the night. I was a little worried, but my first ball of the night I was instantly sure that I was going to release the ball properly and score good. I was correct. My first game was a 234, second game 230 and my last game was a 266 for a 730! I had the last ten strikes in a row in that last game and Josh once again didn't even hit a 170 average on the night. I averaged just over 243 for the night and my average will jump more while Josh's falls. I have averaged 227 for the last three weeks and hope to maintain whatever overall average I have tonight throughout the year. Just figured that I had to blog before I do in fact bowl horrible. I know that there is going to be a night where I feel lost again and I won't score worth crap, but the last 3 months have given me hope that I can someday be the bowler I once was. These last three weeks I have actually felt better than when I was bowling great as a young man. I have just seen too many people scoring perfect games and 800 series without me! I dream to one day have an 800 ring and to have Josh (my cousin who hasn't bowled a league since he was in high school) bowl his first league in forever and come so close to it shooting an 800 with his 787 just kind of woke me up. I could have cared less in fact I wish he would have shot the 800 that night, but it for sure has awakened my passion for the game again. I am happy with the way I have been bowling. I have hated bowling for the past ten years and didn't ever think that I would be one of the city's elite ever again. I never imagined that I would want to bowl. Sure Sheri and I have bowled a league every year that we have been married, but it was basically just something to do and get out of the house in the winter months. I haven't enjoyed the game and was pretty close to quitting a couple of times. The past month I have actually thought about bowling a ton. I have thought about bowling tournaments, I have thought that I want to have a Steve Stricker like comeback. I have no aspirations of being on TV, but I do want to go to some bigger tournaments this next year if I am bowling like I am now and still have the confidence that I have right now.
I thanked Josh for giving up on trying to beat me this year as far as average is concerned. He didn't really like that remark and said that the year wasn't over. I hope that he does not only try to beat me, but I hope that he does in fact bowl great. I don't think that he will be able to pass me though. I have a ton of confidence that he is lacking. He expects a bit too much especially since like I said he hasn't really bowled since juniors. He gets down on himself way too much too. Once a person is able to stop beating their selves up over little mistakes in any sport and focus on the next shot or task at hand is the day that they start excelling exponentially.
I now have no doubt that Josh isn't going to be able to beat me this year and I will still be known as the best bowler in the family, but that is hopefully just the tip of the iceberg. I expressed to Josh a sincere thanks as for bowling with us this year and pushing me to get out of the pit. I have been a big let down to my fellow bowlers for years. This is the first year that I haven't been asked to bowl city or state tournament by someone! Nobody! Not even fellow bowlers who aren't that good that have idolized me back in the day and would love to have me on their team in the past didn't even ask me this year. It really doesn't hurt my feelings. I wouldn't not want to have asked me either if I were them. Heck I don't know why I was asked for the past 9 of these 10 years. I literally sucked but I hope to have those multiple invites again next year when I prove to everyone that I am back!