Bowling

On Martin Luther King Day we decided to celebrate by taking the kids bowling.  We considered ice skating, but then I though, "who are we kidding?"  Bowling was much more likely to actually be fun.  It was!  We'd played 2 games.  The balls rolled slowly.  James and I had higher scores than normal thanks to the bumpers in the gutters (though we don't know what normal is since we don't remember the last time we went bowling).  We ate greasy french fries and gooey cheese bread.  It was a fun afternoon!

Side story . . . . when we got there, no bumper lanes were available so we went to a regular lane.  We started to get situated when this woman said, very excitedly, "Hi Haley!"  I looked at her and tried to enthusiastically say hi back, but I was totally drawing a blank.  She said, "I knew that was you."  I said, "Remind me your name" and she told me.  I had this movie rewind moment of my whole life zooming backwards in my brain in an instant - Murray, Tooele, New Ward, Old Ward, Parent's Ward, Molly dance, James family, I was trying to recall all associations I have ever had with different groups of people until finally . . . ZAP!  I remembered.  She was a girl I went to high school with.  The guy with her (husband or friend, I don't know, but not the father of her children) I also went to high school with.  

I know a little bit about her and was able to make small conversation.  It was weird, though.  I know a little bit of her post high school story and it has been a rough one.  She looked tired.  I felt bad.  I don't think she would have ever even spoken to me in high school and I didn't know that she would have even known my name.  I was super nerdy braces girl and she was super social dancing girl.  Our short bowling conversation was pleasant enough, but I honestly was relieved when the bowling alley guy came over to tell us a bumper lane had opened up and we got to move away.  I'm a friendly enough person, I think, but I just don't particularly care to associate with many people I went to high school with.  Most days I am happy with who I am and the choices I've made in my life.  High school wasn't that fun and I just would rather not go back.