I can't help but relate this to the recent post about Alex Rodriquez. At one point there is a passage about him performing for his father, about hitting home runs for him and all of that. As a child growing up and through adolescence into my teenage years I was heavily invested into bowling, and I know I was in part performing for my dad. He was always there, no matter how far away matches were, and every strike and every game that showed progression in my abilities resulted in a look of admiration from him. I don't think it's something I'm ever going to forget, and I don't think it's something I'm ever going to feel again. I was doing it for me, sure, because it was something I was good at, but I was also doing it for him. He was a great baseball player in his prime, and I was (maybe still am) a great bowler, and that sense of mutual admiration of abilities is something that is hard to explain.

I think that's part of why I don't bowl anymore, because I'm not doing it for anyone, because there is no other person to share the moment with that will understand the toils and tribulations in getting to a high level in a sport, let alone be able to turn around and see emotionally affected by my performance while still being an unconditional source of support.