I was just finished my workout on the arm ergometer at the gym and rolled off the platform. I turned to head towards the cable machine, which had not been in use when I checked before shutting down the machine. Someone, a fellow I'd seen before, was there about to start. He glanced over and saw me and said, "Were you wanting to use this?"
I said, "Yes, but you go ahead and I'll use one of the other machines." While it was true there were other machines but one I use only for a few minutes and the other is really hard to use because of the height I have to reach. He said, "Go ahead, I'll come back later."
"No, no," I protested.
He said, "I've seen you here many times, I know you use the cable machine when you are finished on that one. You've only got a few options here and I have a lot of options. I'll just do something else."
I was really surprised that he'd noticed that while the gym is accessible enough for me as a disabled person, all the running and rowing and biking and stretching machines are not possible for me. My legs don't work well enough for them. I use the upper body machines at the gym and do low impact lower body workouts at home. So he was right. I had fewer options. He was also right that he had way more options than I did.
So I thanked him and moved over to set up the cable machine.
This kind of help, or consideration, I like. Not because I got the machine that I wanted, although I was pleased at that, but because the offer was made based on his understanding of fairness. He - many options. Me - few options.
Although his act was kind, it's not the kindness that I appreciated most, it was the awareness of fairness and an offer to level the playing field a bit.
I left feeling like I'd done a good workout and that I'd experienced an interaction with a really good person.
3 comments:
Glad there are strangers like this man to offset some of the injury done by those who are intentionally or unintentionally unkind.
In my experience, a lot of gym 'regulars' are like that. You get to know what other folks are doing and where they go next from day to day. ("Bob's on a three day split and today's Tuesday so . . . ") Sometimes they even get to know what weights / resistance other folks use too. I've had guys leave weight on the bar for me when they knew where I was going next. It's nice when everyone goes around the room with courtesy and bonhomie. You're a regular too then.
Sounds like a cool dude to have in your gym.
The best part, for me, was listening in on the two of you holding a civilized conversation as equals. EXERCISING equals, whatever your current status is.
Because, of course, you both are equals in the gym.
Post a Comment