Flowers in California

Flowers in California

Friday, September 17, 2010

Nothing Personal

Since I returned from my vacation 4 weeks ago, I have gone to the gym 20 times. I'm keeping track. I'm dedicated now, somehow.

As I work out at the gym, my eyes wander. Sometimes I watch tv, sometimes I don't watch tv because football or something else is on that I can't stand, and sometimes I watch men working out. They're available for viewing, I view. Sometimes, I see people with personal trainers. I don't envy people with trainers and it's not that I (necessarily) have anything against the trainers. Rather, I don't think I'd be a good trainee.

I didn't do well in gym class, cannot dive into a pool, was slow in learning to skip in kindergarten and had sad jumpsies experiences. I don't do well in instructed physical activity. I truly wonder if I have a learning disability in translating verbal instructions into action. It's not that I can't do things - I just have trouble figuring out what people are telling me to do. I accept this aspect of myself - it's been around a long while.

With this weakness, a personal trainer would have a challenge working with me. He or she would require patience, empathy, and the ability to untangle me should things go awry when I tried to follow instructions. Not everyone is up to the challenge.

Aside from the fact that I may be unteachable, I really don't want to be taught strict, complicated exercises that require certain postures and which will be considered absolute failures if I don't do them just right. The exercise I do on my own works for me. And more important to me is the fact that I do it. And I can keep doing it and change it on my own as I wish.

I remember an episode of "Friends" in which Monica's credit card was stolen. She went to a dance class for which the thief had signed up with her card. Monica was dancing and according to the teacher "getting it all wrong." Her response was "Yeah, but at least I'm doing it!"

That's pretty much my response too. I'm glad I'm doing it.

JAHD

3 comments:

  1. Great post! I laughed out loud a couple times! I can relate....not to the actually doing it part but the athletically learning challenged part. You should see me try to learn how to dance...or the time I tried an areobics class!

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  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  3. I deleted my own comment because I wanted to correct a typo.
    Anyways, imagine us in a dance or aerobics class together. We should do it for the laughs we'd get and the dismay and confusion we would cause the teacher. Thanks for letting me know that I'm not the only one, Kim.
    Joanne

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