Go Bowling this Week, but not Alone

A few weeks ago, I was at a conference where our planned afternoon activity was a trip to the local bowling alley. We were all assigned lanes as a way to meet new people.

It had been a decade since I had bowled last, so I was dreading it. But socially, the activity turned out to be fun. It was an example of an activity that can help build social capital.

In 1995, Harvard professor Robert Putnam wrote a book called "Bowling Alone.” It was a groundbreaking examination of American life that illustrated a culture in becoming more lonely by the day and turning further inward.

Putnam argued that America's social fabric had frayed significantly. Alexis de Tocqueville first warned about this in his 1831 book, “Democracy in America.” De Tocqueville admired American individualism but warned that a society of individuals can easily fray.

Putman wasn't wrong. Americans don't join things in the way we used to. Fraternal organizations such as the Lions Club, the Elks and Kiwanis don't have robust membership like they used to, nor do civic and faith-based groups.

Church attendance is also falling. In 1995, Putnam was just scratching at the surface of what was to come with loneliness in the U.S. Twenty-seven years later, it is a full-blown epidemic. The latest U.S. Census Bureau survey shows 60% report spending less time with friends, family or anyone, for that matter.

However, Putnam wasn't 100% right, either.

Many more people are now seeking connectedness in their communities and relationships in their neighborhoods. Since I started writing and speaking on neighboring, I have seen an explosion of interest nationwide. No less than ten books have been released on the topic in the last five years, and new neighborhood-focused efforts keep popping up weekly.

Bowling has changed, too, in ways, Putman did not foresee. Bowling is one of those sports where you can pick up the game at any age, and join a league, and within minutes, you have formed a new set of friends and relationships that lead to purpose and erode loneliness.

Bowling remains the largest participation sport in the world. Nearly 70 million people in the U.S. bowl during a year, and 1.2 million of them compete regularly in league play certified by the United States Bowling Congress.

The world's largest owner and operator of bowling centers, the Bowlero Corporation, reported last month that it had generated revenue exceeding $1 billion -- a record year, attributed to strong demand for bowling. The company has over 325 bowling centers across North America and added 40 new bowling centers last year alone.

Perhaps your community does not have a bowling alley, but it has unique assets that citizens can rally around and enjoy. Perhaps it is a park or trail or even a national battlefield. How can those assets be used for the betterment of your community? It is a conversation worth having and I would love to hear your ideas.

David Burton is a published author (with books on neighboring coming soon). Learn more at https://www.amazon.com/author/davidlburton