Between You, Me and the Lamp Post
Day 58: Why I chose a condor for my first tattoo
Many years ago, I started playing ten-pin bowling tournaments. I was not exactly champion material, but I wasn’t a bad player either. My average was 175 with an occasional 200+ and a top score of 257.
In tournaments, however, I went to pieces. All my opponent had to do was give me a dirty look, ignore me, or say “You’re gonna lose” and my confidence went from 100 to zero in two seconds flat.
How it happened exactly I can’t remember, but I came across a picture of a condor. As mentioned earlier not exactly a pretty bird, but definitely a bird to be feared. And for some reason, I started to identify with this bird.
From then on, whenever I stood on the approach, I was no longer Conny, I was ... the condor. Now, at the start of a tournament, or even just a practice game, I imagined the condor, waiting to take flight.
And it worked. A few years ago, Dieter (a.k.a. Raven) and I took first place at a Halloween tournament and we took first place in the league.
Dieter and I no longer play league or tournaments, but we do bowl every Saturday morning. We have a mini-competition going, just for the fun of it. Do I beat him? ... hardly, he’s way better than me. He’s got a 200 average while I only have a 175 average. But occasionally, I do manage to snatch a game from him or manage to come close.
https://www.chimuadventures.com/blog/2016/07/andean-condor/
http://justfunfacts.com/interesting-facts-about-california-condors/