Food for thought:
“I could not, at any age, be content to take my place
in a corner by the fireside and simply look on.”
Eleanor Roosevelt
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The Pin Master
The other day, a 75 year old man achieved a life-long dream.
Tony has been an avid bowler since he was 11 years old.
Throughout this life, he’s bowled hundreds of games in alleys
in several states. He’s been a team member in dozens of leagues,
won his share of amateur tournaments and maintained an
average around 190 for most of his adult life.
But with all that success, there’s still one thing Tony’s never done–
he’s never bowled a perfect game. A 300 – 12 strikes in a row.
He’s come close many times, but you don’t hang “close” on your
wall.
A 300 in bowling is akin to pitching a perfect game in baseball.
Just like not giving up any hits or walks to 27 batters in a nine inning
ballgame, a perfect game in bowling requires executing 12 strikes
in a row. No spares, no open frames. It’s not just one shot like
a hole-in-one in golf, it’s a sustained effort that requires repeated
excellence from beginning to end.
Well, on February 26th of this year, 5 months shy of his 76th birthday–
Tony’s dream came true. It was a very familiar scene as he began
the first game of his league match. (He currently bowls in 3 leagues
a week!) This senior league prides itself on being there to have a good
time and enjoy the game as much as they enjoy being with their fellow
bowlers. And Tony started off this game reallyenjoying himself.
He got the first 4 strikes in a row and he felt pretty good. It seemed
pretty easy, but in his mind he was presuming nothing. Over the years,
it was usually the 8th frame that was the downfall of his previous brushes
with perfection. Tony knew if he could just stay relaxed and make it past
the 8th frame, he’d have a real shot at the elusive 300.
Well, the 8th frame came and went without much notice. Now he was in
the zone. Everything in the bowling alley stopped as Tony threw that 12th
ball. From the minute it left his hand, he knew it was good. And sure
enough, that last ball plowed through all 10 pins at the other end of the
lane. It was a deafening roar across all the lanes from the crowd who
had just witnessed his perfection. 64 years of trying was all worth it.
It was an incredible scene in the midst of an inspiring accomplishment.
But you know the best part? He’s my dad.
Throughout my life, I’ve watched Tony Pniewski throw a lot of bowling
balls and knock down a lot of pins. I wish I could have seen him
knock down those 120 pins on that day. But no matter what, we’re
all extremely proud of him for reaching this milestone – especially at
75 years old!
There are many lessons in this story, but the most important is that
there is nothing you can’t do! Age is as much of an obstacle as
you allow it to be. Don’t let anything stand in your way! Make no
more excuses and go after the things that you dream about in your life.
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Visit www.throwemback.com
