Memories: World's Greatest Bowler

 

Down at the old Oak Park Mall (whose buildings have long since been dedicated to other purposes) there was a barber shop where Pop would take us boys for our haircuts. The story of a visit there would merit its own telling. The point here is that, in its location at one of the mall's entrances, it shared a corridor with our local Hallmark's, whose side was an enormous display window, featuring many doodads and whatnots for sentimental occasions that we would sometimes peruse while waiting for Pop to conclude business. I know it was there that I purchased the Deer-amid (a term I just now coined), a small Lucite pyramid with a plastic fawn in it, for Mom.

50-Year-Old Not-So-Lucid Lucite

Forgive my rambling. I was going to say that it was in the Hallmark window that we first saw the "World's Greatest Bowler" trophy, and coveted it as a piece of Peanuts merchandising. Now it comes to me that it was probably from the small display case of knickknacks under the counter at the bowling alley's register counter, where they sold things like banks in the shape of a bowling pin. I'll have to ask John to clarify my fuzzing memories. In any case, we did get it as a gift for Pop, and it stood on top of the dividing wall or on the mirror shelves in the living room for many years. I remember at one time when cleaning it that its lettering rubbed off. 

Update!

Brother John Amends: Mom and Pop bought that Snoopy award for me at some place that was drilling custom holes in Pop’s new bowling ball. I had to do some drastic begging to acquire it! I wanted it for Snoopy of course, but also as a nod to Pop’s great love of bowling. I remember, weirdly, feeling what I would now call “stolen valor” guilt for it, seeing as how I had never bowled at all at the time!

And now that he recalls this story to me, I remember I was there; I smell again the strange acrid smell of the ball as it was drilled. It makes me wonder how many of my memories are actually flimsy tissues woven together from broken ends and pieces of thought drifting through the hollow halls of my mind. I seem to remember things better than circumstances.