Podcast 87 - Some lessons are best learned slowly rather than all at once, such as “Don’t attempt to move rapidly indoors in utter darkness, especially if it’s not your house.”
In HS I had long hair and the gym ‘helpers’ would wait by the shower with the towels and snap me, yes quite naked, in their ‘sadomasicistic’ zeal. After a bit they might actually throw the towel on the wet ground and start to abuse someone else. The coach’s room was a glassed-in room raised six feet up with a clear view to the shower exit and they would watch and smile.
After a while I no longer suited up…so no shower, and they created a class for us misfits, those who got a F or earned an Unsatisfactory…and you be guessed it, 24 of us were the FU club! As PE was mandatory in CA, we were taught by a younger PE teacher…his girl friend had a Camaro! Mr. Tomy was young, not a complete asshole, so FU club just had to come out to the track and run a mile and whomever ‘won’ got to pick what we would do…motorcycle and hiking boots were the shoes of this group, and jeans. The winner, always the same guy, picked soccer so we played 12 on 12 soccer and my skins are quite knobby to this day. It was the last period of the day so when we were done we just headed out, had a smoke as we walked home. They were not willing to succumb! Great guys! And I was honored to be amount men!
I grew up in a Finnish community in Northern Minnesota. Most of us had saunas (pronounced sow-na). I was taught from an early age that one does not enter a sauna clothed. It's a sport best performed naked. We Finns had no problem with that; I still don't, but others seem to have drifted into a certain prudishness. As for junior and senior high gym classes and the requisite showers? I never felt comfortable and still don't.
It can even be dangerous to try to get into your own home after dark, especially if you don’t appear to fit the profile for your neighborhood. Dr. Henry Gates, of “Finding Your Roots” fame, was locked out of his house several years ago and was arrested for trying to break in. The Cambridge, MA police didn’t think that a Black man would have such a nice house.
I'm 89. As I see exercising, the only reason for avoiding it is the fear I might buy the farm on the treadmill, or the sit down elliptical, or get a hernia while lifting 30 pounds over my head. And this in the presence of young studs or ladies who no doubt reflect the beauty of God I'm told, and they're right, I'm sure. It's just another reason to hit the gym after age, and God, begin forming little drooling channels on both sides of your mouth. So make sure to carry tissues to the gym.
I loved Jack Morris when he pitched for the Tigers. And as a girl, I also hated the post gym class showers. The comparisons were soul crushing.
In HS I had long hair and the gym ‘helpers’ would wait by the shower with the towels and snap me, yes quite naked, in their ‘sadomasicistic’ zeal. After a bit they might actually throw the towel on the wet ground and start to abuse someone else. The coach’s room was a glassed-in room raised six feet up with a clear view to the shower exit and they would watch and smile.
After a while I no longer suited up…so no shower, and they created a class for us misfits, those who got a F or earned an Unsatisfactory…and you be guessed it, 24 of us were the FU club! As PE was mandatory in CA, we were taught by a younger PE teacher…his girl friend had a Camaro! Mr. Tomy was young, not a complete asshole, so FU club just had to come out to the track and run a mile and whomever ‘won’ got to pick what we would do…motorcycle and hiking boots were the shoes of this group, and jeans. The winner, always the same guy, picked soccer so we played 12 on 12 soccer and my skins are quite knobby to this day. It was the last period of the day so when we were done we just headed out, had a smoke as we walked home. They were not willing to succumb! Great guys! And I was honored to be amount men!
I grew up in a Finnish community in Northern Minnesota. Most of us had saunas (pronounced sow-na). I was taught from an early age that one does not enter a sauna clothed. It's a sport best performed naked. We Finns had no problem with that; I still don't, but others seem to have drifted into a certain prudishness. As for junior and senior high gym classes and the requisite showers? I never felt comfortable and still don't.
It can even be dangerous to try to get into your own home after dark, especially if you don’t appear to fit the profile for your neighborhood. Dr. Henry Gates, of “Finding Your Roots” fame, was locked out of his house several years ago and was arrested for trying to break in. The Cambridge, MA police didn’t think that a Black man would have such a nice house.
I'm 89. As I see exercising, the only reason for avoiding it is the fear I might buy the farm on the treadmill, or the sit down elliptical, or get a hernia while lifting 30 pounds over my head. And this in the presence of young studs or ladies who no doubt reflect the beauty of God I'm told, and they're right, I'm sure. It's just another reason to hit the gym after age, and God, begin forming little drooling channels on both sides of your mouth. So make sure to carry tissues to the gym.
Hi Garrison: Where ya been?
RRoeder