Bridging the Gap.....

A NOTICE OUTSIDE A SECOND HAND SHOP.We buy sell and exchange all bowling equipment and accessories,Why not bring along your wife and get a wonderful bargain!

Today I met up with some friends for lunch at the bowling club. During the course of the afternoon I happened to look out onto the bowling greens and saw a group of primary school children learning to bowl. Lawn bowls is a sport often associated with old men and old women dressed in white uniforms, sun hats and gray hair. It is the complete opposite of ten-pin bowling which is surrounded with noise, big heavy bowling balls and boisterous young kids.
I have never seen kids playing lawn bowls anywhere before and was quite amazed that it was taking place so I walked outside to stand and watch. There were about 20 school children aged approximately 10/11 years old. They were being given instructions from a group of very elderly bowlers, several of them with walking sticks. They were obviously enjoying the attention and importance placed on their instructional roles. The children all stood concentrating on what was being said and appeared very respectful and eager to play. Likewise, the elderly lawn bowlers seemed just as eager to teach the children. I thought what positive steps were being taken here to bridge the gap between young and old.
I watched the young people walk gently over the grass, so well maintained and easy on the knees and ankles of the elderly players. When I commented about them playing, a lady next to me remarked that it was very rewarding teaching the children; that they were "keen as mustard" and their level of enthusiasm was contagious to everyone. She went on to say that many possessed great sporting skills and that naturally their expectation and energy far surpassed many of the older bowlers. Apparently the senior bowlers loved the way school children asked questions, challenged the older bowlers to games, were especially keen to try out new things but most of all they jumped around with their vigor and energy audible and visible. I was genuinely impressed that a simple sport could bring young and old together and most importantly, it created an even playing field where age really was no barrier. But to see so many elderly people thoroughly enjoying teaching such young people was encouraging I could only imagine how much both parties were enjoying themselves and how rewarding it must be for the seniors. We will all be old one day.