I am a coordinated, intelligent, healthy individual, so my lack of skill in bowling would come as a surprise to friends and teammates. At first, I’d knock down a pin or two, but soon the gutter balls would begin. It defied logic. I experimented with different positions, ball weights, finger-hole sizes, and speeds, but in the end, I’d get so exasperated that I’d just roll gutter balls for expediency’s sake. When someone suggested I use the bumpers to block the gutters, I thought, “Isn’t that for kids? That seems kind of humiliating.” But I tried it, and it was fun!