Dear Rock River Lanes,

After visiting Stubby's Bowl in Waterloo this weekend, which is probably the smallest bowling alley that I have ever seen in my entire life, I have come to appreciate you more than ever. Of course, we still have our ups and our downs. More often than not, I have been personally victimized by these lanes more times than I can count. But despite that, I wanted to take this time to appreciate the little things in life, starting with my favorite childhood bowling alley.

Thank you for being an important part of my life. Ever since I started this journey during the youth leagues, you have helped me learn during every step of the way. You have taught me so much more than advanced bowling techniques. You have taught me the most about sportsmanship. My asthma prevented me from being a serious competitor in other sports, but bowling gave me a chance. For this indoor sport, you don't need to run from one end of the court to the other. Even though I've come a long way since I first started, my teams usually lose all the time. I still have to cheer for the other team and acknowledge their success. I just have to do better next week.

Thank you for the memories, both the bad and the good. From my first accidental gutter ball to my first 200 game, some of the most memorable times in my life were at this very bowling alley. To be honest, you haven't lived until you have had a birthday party here. I remember having the widest smile when I got to take home a bowling pin with my name on it. More recently, I remember the frustration I felt when I bowled worse than I did when I was 10-years-old. And I'm almost 20 now! These lanes have stood by me through all of these moments. Hopefully they'll be here for many more to come.

Thank you for bringing my family together. Even though bowling can bring out the worst in us, it usually brings out the best in us. A trip to the bowling alley is always on our weekly agenda, especially when one, or all of us, are bowling in a league. It almost seems like my entire family bowls now. Since it's not too hard, anyone can do it!

Thank you for the people that I have met here. It's always nice seeing familiar faces. When you start bowling on leagues, you start to see the same people over and over again, no matter where you go. On my current league, the Friday Fun Bunch, my family always runs into the same woman at Pick 'n Save or even an entire team at Walmart. It almost starts to seem weird because you see them all of the time.

Although I have bowled at other alleys before, nothing beats coming back to you.

Sincerely,

The Girl With The 139 Average