Strike City with Melissa

"Melissa Dahl is IN THE HOUSE!" she exclaims, and raises her arms above her head in victory. Melissa has just bowled a strike, and is elated. I am elated too, watching her have a really fun time with her friends from school. It's a field trip for her special ed "learning center", and all the "learning centers" from the other middle schools in the district, too. When you figure that most of the kids have their own aide, that makes a crowd of about 100 people here at Strike City.

We almost didn't make it here. Yesterday, I asked her if she wanted me to go with her and her class. She recoiled in fear and exclaimed "No, it's too much hard work! It's too scary, I'm frightened!"

Now, there was a day where I would have just let her stay home, and avoid the scary, frightening new experience. But that was then, and this is now, and she is ready to make friends and have fun. So I got up today and took her to school, tagged along with her to art class, and when it was almost time to go bowling, I waited until one of her friends in class asked Melissa if she was going or not - she hesitated, looked at me, and then replied, "Sure, we are going...." and so I gathered up her coat, and off we went.

Now, she is grinning ear to ear as she eats bowling alley fries and tallies up her score. "I win!" She shouts, after the strike. "Where's my trophy?" then heads off to hug her friend to celebrate. I watch her and think, "There's your trophy, girl." I think. "Right there."