Wednesday, April 24, 2013
CHECKING IN
I have not been to the gym in ten days which is like an eon for me.
And I am not going to be there any time soon. Maybe in a couple of weeks, maybe not.
I can't go as long as I have the apparatus in me.
I realized that while I know a lot of people, I have no phone numbers. Nor them of me.
I wondered if they missed me of course but I also knew that I missed seeing them.
So I saddled up this morning and went in.
I couldn't have picked a better day. They were all there. Youseff who I have known for years, Gene the other left winger, Stu and Wayne, who came to us as a set (just friends) when the 24 Hour gym closed, Sol who I know well from another place, the "girls", three intense young women who work out so hard the floor shakes sometimes, Chris the AC guy, my good buddy John whose husband nearly died from a coronary and I could be there for him, Craig who is a muscle head, in a good way, and some others who I nod to. And of course John at the desk who told me that a few had wanted my phone number that he couldn't give them but he would have called me soon to get them off his back.
I even ran into the guy who owns the energy drink place across the plaza on his way in. I see him every month or so.
These are people who I see more or less every day, more often than family. All have some tug on my heart. One way or another. And they like me in return.
Over the years, I have seen people I knew not come back to the gym. I never saw them again. And had no idea what happened to them. They never said goodbye. Of course, some of these never said hello either but there were some who stuck and were friendly. Then gone.
I know that a gym is not the best place to expect any consistency of acquaintance let alone friendship. But still. I miss some of them.
Now, my peeps know I am OK, just not attending now for health reasons but that I am OK, alive, coming back.
I also now have Youseff and John's phone numbers and they mine.
