I got the opportunity to go to the bowling alley where my friend and I used to ride our bikes frequently when we were around twelve (when we weren’t busy eating crinkle fries while ice skating in the winter or sneaking into the outdoor pool display at Korvettes in the summer). The Friday Hopefuls senior bowling league (to which my dad and step-mom belong) was in session, and many of those breaking a score of 100 were grandparents over the age of 80. The female high-roller (until recently) is actually 98 years old but she wasn’t there yesterday, unfortunately. I did get to meet an ex-marine, an accountant, a retired nurse, and many others with rich and interesting lives, however.
I worked my way up and down all fourteen lanes for all three games, fascinated by the athleticism and determination I saw. One woman told me her knee is very painful, but it’s also painful when she does nothing so she might as well bowl.
My takeaway? Find something (or several things) active that you love to do, and do it. Do it day after day, year after year. For me, it’s bike riding, but for you, it could be anything. You don’t just wake up at 80 years old and get fit. It’s a lifetime habit.
I have a sneaky suspicion some of these folks will be breaking 100 in more ways than one.
Traveling at the Speed of Bike 