Thursday, September 12, 2013

Pumping Iron

I finally got up the nerve to go to the rec. center and learn the weight room.  It's not like I've never lifted weights before, it's more that the OSU football, basketball, soccer, baseball, track, and gymnastics teams all use the weight room here...and I am a little intimidated!  There are still a few weeks until school starts up so I figured there would most likely be fewer people there now, meaning a smaller audience to my ignorance. 

As I walked in, I surveyed the area and spotted a little old woman using the circuit training machines.  Using the pictures on the machines and my best guess, I made my way around several of them ending up next to this sweet little lady.  This was a machine I was unfamiliar with, so I leaned over and whispered, "Do you know how this machine works?"  She put her hand to her ear.  The universal signal for, "What's that deary??  Speak up.  Granny can't hear you."  I repeated my question a little bit louder.  Again, she put her hand to her ear and said, "What?".  I asked again...a bit louder.  She said, "What?" again.  Finally the fourth time I practically shouted, "DO YOU KNOW HOW THIS MACHINE WORKS?" At last she heard me...along with everyone else in the weight room, the rec. center and a twelve mile radius.  

She smiled at me, shrugged her shoulders and replied, "I don't know!  I've never used it before.  Just try to look confident!"  I smiled back and said, "That's what I'm trying to do, but the machine keeps making weird noises!"  She laughed and said, "Well, I'm deaf...so it doesn't bother me!!"

Apparently confidence increases as your hearing decreases.  Good to know.