By StevieB
I heard this request yesterday at the gym. As the overbuilt muscle was directing the request towards me I stepped up to the incline bench. I’ve been in this gym everyday at the same time with this same guy. Yet I had no idea who he was, due to my lack of social skills and philosophy of get in, get done, get out. He struck up a conversation whilst pressing ungodly amounts of iron down to his chest. Together a couple more reps were pressed out then with the bar back in its holder then overbuilt muscle struck up a conversation.
After
a couple of minutes of discussing the gym and other routine topics he
stated that he had me figured out, either I was a get in, get it done,
get out guy or a raging asshole. I retorted that I was both and had him
figured out as a Sociology Major at DU, but apologized if I’ve been
ignoring him.
I always ignore everyone at the gym, going back to high school weight
lifting class. This is primarily because I don’t want to be perceived as
“that gay guy that leers at dudes”. I acknowledge this is because I
stick to my own business and it’s a gym, not a bar. But am I really
still forcing upon myself self perceived homophobia? Am I still caught
in the loathing of being perceived as an effeminate fairy? When I was
young it was self-preservation. One wrong look and I could get pounded.
Now I out weight most guys.
I guess at this point I could be a little friendlier. I can also release the survival skills I built in high school.
This post originally appeared on Steven Bennet's website Nice to See StevieB. Republished with permission.
