Well, Myron the Muse calls me in the middle of the evening and says, "Your next article needs to be about 'overcoming the bowling slump' because I just bowled a 415 series in a no-tap tournament." Scratch? (meaning no handicap); but, of course, I knew that it was. I was thinking of ways to keep his spirits up without laughing too hard. (He's my younger brother so I can do that, I think.)

Did I tell you that he is an accomplished guitar player, is trying to learn the electric piano, and is a whiz at the ukulele? Myron is the life of the party when we have what we call "Kanikapila" (Hawaiian for, literally, "jam session," or as I learned from my haole friends in the military, "pickin' and a-grinnin'".) One of the nicknames I toyed with when I first introduced him several months ago was, "Myron, the Bowling Muse-i-cal Muse." He's probably lucky I didn't choose that one.

I guess my brother has forgotten that I did write an article about overcoming a slump just a few weeks ago. It was under the title, "The Insanity Defense." But, that's okay, I forgive him for forgetting. Hey, what are older brothers for if not to forgive younger siblings? We spend our entire lives forgiving them (wink-wink). But, let me tell you, 415 scratch in a no-tap tournament is much, much more than a slump, my friends.

Let's see, that's an average of 138 when all you need is 9-pins on the first ball to have it count as a strike. Additionally, the person bowling it is a 180- to 195-average bowler. Words escape me; but, "TRENCH" comes to mind. Like, say, the Marianas Trench in the Pacific Ocean which is purported to be the deepest trench on planet earth. There are parts of it where they haven't yet seen the bottom!. That's deep!

Here's the "Choc-List" for what I believe the Muse allowed to happen to him:

1) He lost his concentration. He did not step back, take a deep breath, and say to himself, calm down, relax, just let the ball go.

2) He lost his focus. He was probably getting embarrassed thinking "everyone" was watching him so he could not get his mind back to his game.

3) He forgot the basics. Ya think? He was probably trying so hard to get the ball in the pocket, he started moving around and lost track of where he started out from.

4) He consciously (or sub-consciously) gave up at some point and just started slinging the ball down the lane without aiming. He might have even "fooled around" on some of his throws so that spectators would think he didn't care.

We've all been there. Won't be the first time, won't be the last. Keep plugging away and make the best of things. Do not ever give up on your game. Things will always get better.

A Hui Hou! (See You Again!)