RealTalk #7 Does your spouse or companion support your bowling?

[Theo McNair]

Only on RealBowlers will you hear RealTalk like this. This topic is pretty much straight forward so, I am not going to elaborate too much :)

Does your spouse/ companion support your bowling? If not, what do you think the reason is?

If they are a bowler, do they want to see you do well, do they want you to be good but not as good as them :) is there a competitive nature between the two of you? Can you bowl on the same teams?

If they are not a bowler, do they understand your drive to want and get better or bowl 3 to 4 times a week? Do they come and see you bowl? Do you have to sneak out the house to go bowl? Have you cut your bowling time in half? Do you avoid their calls when you are at the bowling alley? :) C'mon this is "Real Talk" lol

I know I am not the only one whose wife has said something when I am headed to the bowling alley some times...and I only bowl twice a week. But, even when I was single and bowled maybe 3-5 times a week I had some ups and downs in relationships...yeah, they were bowling related issues... but, this isnt about me its about you.

So lets hear it. I know everyone can relate in some way.

For the record my wife supports my bowling!!... most of the times.

[Dashawn Anton Robert Clark]

I can relate. My woman wants all attention on her while I'm bowling. I had to band her from watching me at tournaments. She was even bold enough to tell me to watch her purse while I bowl. I don't watch purses. Then she wants to have an attitude. Forget that , she's prohibited from watching me bowl.

[Autumn]

I understand that I am very young, but my BF cannot stand bowling. We do not talk about bowling and he does not go anywhere near a bowling alley.(NJ!!) Recently he admitted to me why he hated bowling so much, because he believes I like bowling more than I like him. He does not understand my drive, probably never will. Like me, he is stuck in his ways. LOL, NO we are not married so I do not have to sneak out of the house, but if we were I probably would not be bowling. No, I have never cut my bowling time in half and I do not avoid his phone calls when I am at the bowling alley. REAL TALK!!

[ARNIE]

I BOWL IN 3 LEAGUES A WEEK AND ALSO SOME TOURNAMENTS SHE REALLY DOES NOT SAY ANY THING AND I ALSO INVITE HER TO GO WITH ME ON EVERY LEAGUE NIGHT BUT MOST OF THE TIME SHE CHOSES NOT TO. SHE DOESN'T COMPLAIN AT ALL ABOUT MY BOWLING AND LOVES GOING TO THE NATIONALS WITH ME. SHE IS A GREAT LADY. DO TO PHYSICAL AILMENTS SHE CAN NOT BOWL BUT IF SHE COULD I WOULD GIVE UP A MENS LEAGUE TO BOWL WITH HER ON A MIXED LEAGUE. SHE ALWAYS ASKS HOW I BOWLED WHEN I COME HOME. SHE REALLY TRIES TO SUPPORT ME. JUST ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I LOVE THIS LADY.

[Thomas Walker]

My he wife used to bowl but due to the hours she works she is unable to know. I am retired in two leagues and she lets me. She is a great wife and I love her very much. I only wish we could bowl together. She would like to have me home every night because she goes to bed so early. I know some day we will bowl again together I must be patient and carry forward.

[Theo McNair]

Lol, Dashawn! Not sure if I can ban her from watching me. btw welcome to RealBowlers.

Dashawn Anton Robert Clark said:

I can relate. My woman wants all attention on her while I'm bowling. I had to band her from watching me at tournaments. She was even bold enough to tell me to watch her purse while I bowl. I don't watch purses. Then she wants to have an attitude. Forget that , she's prohibited from watching me bowl.

[Kimico Myers]

Well, all I can say is that you guys are lucky. I wouldn't dream (or, should I say, that's all I can do) of bowling in 3 leagues a week.

[Theo McNair]

LOL!

Kimico Myers said:

Well, all I can say is that you guys are lucky. I wouldn't dream (or, should I say, that's all I can do) of bowling in 3 leagues a week.

[NISA]

I do hear a lot of horror stories about spouses and significant others when it comes to bowling. It's always better when you and your mate can be somewhat on the same page when it comes to hobbies. Bowling can be time consuming and expensive, so if there is conflict I can see mad drama. However, if your significant other does choose to support you at the alley, please have him or her halfway decent so there busted looks don't cause you distractions either with you constantly thinking: Why in the h'll you came up here looking like that. lol

[TIM MCNAIR]

Having a companion that support your bowling is not all its cracked up to be........the most important thing is that you have a understanding with them about what it is you do and you are respectful of their feelings about it. Over the years i've dated bowlers and nonbowlers and each has its pros and cons....thru trial and error i've learned that regardless of the situation at the end of the day, respect and consideration is what matters most. Back in the day when i first started bowling league, i bowled 4 leagues a week and i caught flak from anybody i dated.....the funny thing was when i first met these young ladies, i told them i bowled and that i bowled ALOT. They all said they understood and even insisted on coming out to watch me regularly....it was all good. After a few months (or should i say after we gotten used to each other) that changed....I started hearing "Bowling is more important to you than i am" or "It's not going to kill you to miss league one week" or "I just got my hair done and I don't want it smelling like bowling alley grease and cigarette smoke" Lol!!! I've heard it all!!! I can honestly say that over the years when dating a nonbowler I had issues.....it was almost to the point in some situations where i had to choose between bowling or my relationship. If you are a avid bowler it is beneficial to be with someone that bowl or at least understand your passion for bowling.....you will definitely have less problems. As i've gotten older and wiser i've realized that based on who you are with you have to create a happy medium.....satisfy your partner and at the same time do what makes you happy as a bowler. Things that works for me is.....never bowl in a Friday nite league, give your significant other just as much QT as you spend bowling, and be considerate of there feelings as it pertain to your other significant other(BOWLING). LOL!!!! Good luck!!!!

[Robert Anderson]

all i can say on this is the lord realy blessed me on this!! my wife has supported for 23 years at what ever ive done from bowling too baseball & softball even in my sports officating.when she was 5 to7 months pregnant she would bowl scotch doubles, no tap then sit an watch me bowl pot games on sat nites then up at 8 or 9 sunday to go to a tournament some where in the metro. the bad part is i did not need to be bowling that much in pot games or tournments be cause i only avg 140 then!!! thank you god for giving such a great woman!!

[Keith Beavers]

I have to say that I am one of th elucky ones. My wife actually pushes me to PRACTICE and not to leagues. And I feel her. Bowling in 3 and 4 leagues is a thing of the past for me. Here in Cleveland, open bowling runs about $3-4 a game. However for me, I get discounts in a several alleys. Some alleys I bowl all I want for FREE. So why pay $16-20 in league fees just to bowl 3 games and deal with a bunch of league DRAMA. The treasurer took the money, they not splitting the payouts right, this team can;t bowl with this sub, waiting for people to bowl because they are at the bar or socializing or running jackpots. Yall know what I mean!! And to do that 3-4 times a week....yea right! Even at $3 a game, I can bowl 5 games at my own pace to myself and come out better.
My wife serves more as my manager. She knows I live for bowling and she recognizes that I'm really really good at it! So she figures why should I not use a talent that God gave me? She travels to some tourneys, but most she stays and manages from home. Her thing is, as long as I'm not out here like Al Bundy or Homer Simpson, just drinking and partying, she's ok with it all and will do ANYTHING to make sure that I am happy on the lanes. She will even hold off on an argument if she knows I'm on my way to a tourney for she understands the mental game! I can't beat that!

[adorna hayward]

Well from what I have read, I can put a spin on this discussion. As majority of the bowling family knows that I am in a relationship with another bowler. He and I are our worst enemies and each others #1 fan. We have each others back when it comes to other people talking about us but we would throw each other under the bus when we get home. Being raised in a bowling alley I dreaded dating a bowler and always lost good potenial partners because of it, but now being in my first bowling partner relationship life is so much smoother. We do bowl on the same team and bowl together in doubles tournaments (I am kind of off limits to other guys unless he doesn’t feel like bowling). Of course everything has there pros and cons to them, so my con about this set-up is that I now have to find something else to use as a break from him. In my past relationships bowling was my safe haven and stress relief, now that my relationship is apart of that I can not run to the bowling alley any more because he would either be already there or running right behind me (agh!). The biggest pro for me is having someone that is there for me 100%, and makes me want to do the same for him. Giving credit to each other, we have both improved our averages by 10 to 15 pins in league and tournament play.