My Bowling Team

Yes it's true.
I have my very own bowling team hanging out in my closet.  Since I have guy and gal bowling shirts I decided that it would work well to have it be a mixed league team.  The number of shirts that I actually own are not that many...but enough for a team for sure!  There is "Doc", "Abner", "Sammie", "Nev" and "Dino". Unfortunately I sold "Erma" awhile back and although she may be gone, she will never be forgotten.
I started collecting retro bowling shirts after I had outgrown a fondness of Hawaiian shirts.  The coffee shop I had in Astoria, Oregon was right next door to a vintage clothing store. Once word was out that I had an affection for these kind of shirts they seemed to make themselves available out of nowhere!  But that was o.k. since not only did I enjoy wearing the shirts I found myself imagining what the namesake on the shirt was really like on their bowling nights back in the day.  Having a vivid imagination AND a captive audience provided the perfect stage for my storytelling.  As I prepared various beverages I began sharing tidbits of the person whose shirt I was wearing.
For example I pictured "Dino" as being a solid, sturdy, cigar smoking bowler who when he rolled his ball down the lane it would guaranteed almost always be a strike! And not just a strike but an EXPLOSIVE  strike!  A pins in the next lane strike! You see "Dino" had very powerful arms and even though he did enjoy his cigars, he was in excellent shape and a very focused bowler.  (I bet he even had bowling tattoos on his forearm)
On the other hand...I imagined "Sammie" as also being a committed bowler, but not to the actual game itself.  Her hot pink shirt reflected her hot pink attitude!  It was HER night to smoke a bit, drink a bit and flirt ALOT.  Hubby had to stay home with the kiddos.  She wasn't the best on the team, but she really didn't have to be as keeping moral high (for the WHOLE league) is an important contribution.  Wasn't it?
 My daughters have threatened to turn me in to the show: "What NOT to Wear" but I tell them that there is NO WAY that I would relinquish my "friends". I realized that after "Erma" was sold on Craigslist.  The sale took place in some random parking lot and I felt like I had abandoned her! "Sammie" and "Erma" were both moms who had their one night out a week.  However "Erma" would have dinner ready, kids p.j's out and a heartfelt gratitude to her husband for allowing her that one little weekly escape. The team has kept me company on many occasion and have been the start of conversations (not that I need too much help in that department).  And bowling shirts are so versatile!  When its cold out you can wear a turtleneck underneath, or if its warm they work well alone...all around making it a fashion STRIKE!