Are You Looking At Me???

Today was my sixth day at the Y (I used up all my free passes and had to buy a day pass for today, but I’ll get to that in a minute.) While I was on the treadmill, a guy walked in probably pretty close to my age. Well, no more than five years give or take. That in itself is slightly unusual because when I go, the place is crawling with retired people. And what’s worse is that most of them (like 80%) are in better shape than I am! If that’s not a blow to your ego, I don’t know what is.

Anyway, the guy picked the treadmill right next to mine and started walking. And, without sounding mean, he was walking slow. Now, I’m no speed demon or anything like that, but I try to get myself right up to the line before I have to start jogging. (Maybe someday I actually will jog, but that day has not yet come.) I see him glance over and I assume he was looking to see what speed I have it set at. Time passes…he peeks at me again. I increase my speed. More time passes and he keeps glancing over at me. To the point where I start feeling self-conscious! I’m thinking to myself, “Oh my god, what is he looking at? I’m not exposed somewhere am I? Pants are up, right? Yes. Shirt covering butt? Check. Chest completely covered? Yeah, it’s a t-shirt. (Not that there would be anything to see in that department. I don’t think they could fall out if they wanted to!) Please don’t let something be sticking out of my nose. Oh god, please.”

We’re both walking and I’m almost up to my max speed and he hasn’t changed his once. But he keeps pulling his shirt away from his body like he’s trying to cool off. Did he just come from somewhere else and is trying to do a “cool down” session? What’s this guy’s deal?

I was about halfway done with my walking when he turns his machine off and starts stretching. While standing on the treadmill. So yes, I haven’t been doing this long, but I’m guessing that isn’t normal. So then I start wondering, “Maybe he had knee surgery and he’s trying to loosen it up and will start walking again in a minute.” Nope. He finishes the couple minutes of stretching and gets down and walks out of the room. I never even got a good look at him the whole time he was there because I didn’t want to have that awkward eye contact. You know, when you glance at someone at the same time they’re glancing at you and no one says anything. Cause I knew sure as shit I wasn’t going to say anything! I had my earbuds in with music playing and I don’t talk to strangers! It freaks me out like nobody’s business!

But I can’t stop wondering, what the hell was he looking at?! I can only hope there was something on the other side of me that he found incredibly interesting.

Now, to back up to the part at the beginning about having to buy a day pass. This really bugs the hell out of me and it’s now the second time within eight months it’s happened.

After using my last free pass at the Y, I asked the woman working if when I came back Thursday and signed up, would my membership keep renewing on the 27th of each month. She informed me, memberships renew the 1st of every month. So I asked, “So even if I pay the membership fee on Thursday, next week when it’s the 1st, it’s going to charge me again?!” She nodded. Am I the only one who thinks this is bullshit?! What happened to prorating a month or having the day you join as your renew date? And what about the poor suckers who join without asking that very important question?! They use their free passes, join, and then get charged again. So much for the free passes! Not quite so free anymore.