# A striking graduation present

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-striking-graduation-present/109730>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [May 18, 2002, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-striking-graduation-present/109730 "2002-05-18T20:15:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Fionn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fionn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fionn)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2002, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-striking-graduation-present/109730/1 "2002-05-18T20:15:42Z")

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When I was two or three, I accompanied my grandfather to my uncle’s house, where he had gone to borrow one of his two bowling balls. I followed him to the closet where he kept them, a tiny little blond toddler.  
“Uncle Mike,” I said. “I don’t even have a bowling ball.”  
That’s the story I was told. When telling it, he always grinned and said “And I thought, no shit, Summer.”  
My aunt and uncle came to commencement yesterday. After the ceremony, I rode with them and my grandparents back to my apartment. They handed me a giant, heavy gift bag and told me to read the card first.  
“You’ve finally earned a bowling ball,” it read. “Love Uncle Mike.”

It was incredibly sweet. It’s sitting in my living room. Since A) I never bowl and B) it would rip my arm off if I tried to use it, I have no idea what I’ll do with it, but I’m definitely going to keep it.

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**Author:** ![Flamsterette\_X](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/41988e/32.png) [@Flamsterette\_X](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flamsterette_X)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2002, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-striking-graduation-present/109730/2 "2002-05-18T20:22:20Z")

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That’s cute… made me smile. 🙂 You’ll have a bit of a story to tell people who ask why you have a bowling ball when you never bowl.

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**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2002, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-striking-graduation-present/109730/3 "2002-05-18T20:23:24Z")

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Heh. That’s a good one.

I suppose you could think of it as your home defense system.

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**Author:** ![El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Elvis_Rojo)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2002, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-striking-graduation-present/109730/4 "2002-05-19T12:01:16Z")

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And I thought **I** had a good memory when it came to gifts 🙂

I went bowling last night as a matter of fact. It’s fun, you should definitely get back into it. Just make sure to trim your thumb nail (those suckers hurt when they get ripped off :(). Congratulations once again!!!