Friday at the gym

At the gym the on Friday, I had worked out my core, and I was on the elliptical jamming away to my workout playlist, when an acquaintance of mine pulled out a ladder a few feet in front of my elliptical.  When I went to tennis camp at Harvard, the ladder was part of our workout routine for quick feet.  I was good at several different foot patterns, including the shuffle across the side of the ladder.  I knew I was agile on my feet, but when I saw how this acquaintance of mine moved through the ladder, I knew my footwork was nothing compared to his.

I’m usually very quiet at the gym.  I do not socialize like most of the other people at the gym do.  To someone who doesn’t know me very well, I must come off as a ridiculously serious and concentrated workout addict.  My mentality calls for this.  I know I’m limited on time, so I try to maximize every minute at the gym.  But when I jumped off the elliptical and sparked a conversation with this acquaintance who’d I’d talked to once, we started having a good conversation.  I also learned how three new patterns for the ladder, which I’ve practiced and replayed in my head several times.  

In addition, the other people at the gym who’d previously seen me every day, who’d seen me only super focused jamming out to my playlist, saw me smile at the gym.  That changed a lot of things, because had a little line going on for the ladder.  There were laughs.  My parents repeatedly tell me I don’t have to be so serious all the time.  I didn’t believe I was serious, I thought I was a really outgoing girl…until I actually stepped out of my comfort zone.  Friday at the gym: I came off as more approachable as soon as I began laughing and smiling, and I learned some new workouts just by being curious, stepping out, and starting a conversation with an acquaintance who I now know better.  It’s a win-win-win.