It’s late. 30 minutes past what I prefer to be my bedtime. But, instead of zzz’ing off, I’ve decided to type.

We met a new dude at the gym tonight. Jose. He just started playing racquetball a couple months ago. He’s got a wicked hard hit when he hits it right. I’m amped to have a new person to play with. New dynamic. Plus, now we have the option for a doubles game again. Playing with four bodies in that court has proved to be quite difficult. The last thing I want to do is wack the hell out of someone with the ball… but I have yet to learn how to ‘control’ my returns/hits. I will. Eventually. I have faith. I love this sport. It feels GOOD to play… feels refreshing… challenging… positive (even though, at times I pretend the little blue/purple ball is someone’s _ _ _ _ - including a part of one’s body in that sentence may lead you to believe that I am a violent person… and I am not. Usually.) *wink I can talk about and play racquetball for hours. I wish I learned or was interested in it a long time ago.

In between one of our games we had a pretty decent (and quick) discussion: “looking like a fool while performing a certain exercise vs. feeling like you’re being judged or made fun of by another member from afar” - I don’t feel either matters if you’re working out for YOU and only YOU.. which should ALWAYS be the case. Period. When you’re at a gym or studio (boxing/yoga/etc..) you’re there for your own health, well-being, body, figure, insides, etc… Maybe, you’re trying to better that part of yourself for someone else; Mom, Dad, BF, GF, kids, etc… but either way you look at it and at the end of the workout it’s for YOU. Everyone judges. Everyone looks/creeps/watches. Everyone stares. Knowingly. Maybe not out loud nor with/to others… but we do. It’s in our nature. You can choose to be rude about it and be ridiculously obvious of your action to a point where you make the person totally uncomfortable and want to run to the locker room and hide out for awhile. OR you can learn something. I’ve found myself check out other members and I’ve learned a bunch of things. I’ve also learned how NOT to be anti-social and actually speak to a complete stranger at the gym for a brief moment just to ask a quick question about what they’re doing and what part of their body they’re working out. So… who cares if you’re looking like a jackass while doing a particular move or exercise?! Chances are, 75% of the individuals working out with/near you are feeling/thinking the same thing you are. When I’m at the g y m (inside joke) (ok, I’ll e’splain: one day at the gym there was a dude who was sort of loudly chattering on his cell to, we’re guessing one of his ‘boys’, and he was like, “yeah, dude, I’m at the g y m.” He didn’t say, “gym” he spelled out “g y m” and we laughed. Out loud. And it pretty much stuck. Like, it wasn’t hilariously-eyes-tearing-gut-hurting funny… it was moded.) Anyway, when I’m at the g y m.. damn, after e’splainin that backstory, I done lost my train of thought… which means only one thing: TIME FOR B E D. :D

Do you enjoy the gym?