Christmas Bowling Party for Zoe Bates

Hello,

Zoe and I went to the last bowling event of the year this morning. We actually went twice. The first time was to bowl. The second time we went to the bowling alley was after we returned to Chisholm and she got out of the car. That is when she noticed she still had her bowling shoes on.

"I guess we have to go back?"

Yup, I thought. We might never find her real shoes again if we wait until bowling begins in the middle of January.

The Fairfax Bowling Alley is in the Pacific Rim Shopping Centre. I thought I would go shopping in all of the Chinese shops there, while Zoe bowled, but I found myself interested in the party that was going on and didn't get out of the bowling alley.

Food for the homeless circled the trunk of the the large decorated Christmas tree. Santa walked around with his ho-ho-ho's, speaking to everyone. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year's greetings were freely passed out among friends, along with many hugs.

Japanese oranges and cookies were on a table for a short time. After the announcement that there were treats for the bowlers, the line-ups around the table were efficient. Not a crumb was left. Zoe did the line twice. Opted out on the oranges and in on the cookies.

One of the organizers had a list in her hand, something like the lists I carry. I remarked to her that we are the same -- lists on napkins. She said that this list in her hand was pressed there by someone who had to leave early: a list of names of people who needed to be taken home in the Access taxi's and handibus, and she was now to check off that everyone had their ride home.

"That will mean that I stay here until the last pick-up is done. A little longer than usual. I haven't had time to decorate for Christmas," she said. "Christmas 2007 my mother-in-law had a stroke and that took all of my time. Last year the contractors who were working on my house were behind schedule and we were in the middle of so many renovations that there was no use pulling out something for Christmas. And now ... so much going on with Special Olympics Bowling," she said, "that I haven't decorated. My husband's business hours are 9 am to 9 pm and he is not well enough work those hours, so I am doing it. I have been over at the business and now here helping the athletes. I wonder if it will matter if I wait until next year to decorate."

I suggested to her that she decorate in January and then just leave it up all year, which would at least make her ready for Christmas 2010.

I thought about another friend, Polly Steele, who calls the decorating of public spaces that she does, random acts of beauty.

I was trying to find a few words to capture the selfless Christian charity I was watching during the bowling event: a woman choking and someone going over to see if she was alright; two girls, hand in hand, best friends, wandering aimlessly between their chances to bowl; two care-givers coaching their clients about appropriate greeting behavior.

One couple were semi-necking in the corner. I said to the woman in charge, "I guess someone is going to have to interfer over there," for I had heard Richard say that budding romances are discouraged at bowling.

She turned her head to take a look and said, "Well, I don't have to deal with that. Those are another group, not our people."

That really made me laugh -- relief that she wasn't going to have to deal with at least that problem.

I got to the place in this post above where I was trying to figure out what was going on for me today. What it was that I sat watching for three hours.

Random acts of kindness.

One of this year's Christmas joy highlights for me.

Arta