Once in a while everyone looks in the mirror and
decides they need to get more physically fit. Some do nothing while others walk,
run, or even decide to join a club and that’s what I did. Let me tell you about
my first day.
Walking at a speed of 4.0 knots and working up a sweat I am
feeling good and asking myself "why didn’t I do this sooner". I had joined a
YMCA, paid my membership, dug out my summer t- shirts and yoga pants and
packed up my bag. I had a mission and it was falling into place …Mmmm Hmmm.
A ‘plink’ and flash of silver woke me from my daydream and of
course, changed everything - typically ‘Y’ would this night be any different?
The plink sound was my locker key falling off my shoelace
and into the bottom of the tred mill I was on – I think. I still didn’t know
for sure when I left a half hour later after all the on my knees digging, arm
wrenching, car horn blaring and lights flashing. Oh, I was sweating all right…the
Y will do that to you.
So right then I decided how much I hated that stupid key and
myself for fastening it to my shoelace.
When I had come the day before to register they told me to
get a lock and key and showed me what kind. I had stopped at the Superstore
to pick one up on my way to the Y - it was a double pack - with four keys. I
opened it before I came in and took out one lock and one key and put the rest
back in the bag – or at least I thought I did – but maybe they were in my purse
which was in the locker at the Y that was locked and the key was under the tred
mill – the second one from the end.
No one actually saw it happen but me and I could have walked
away quietly – walked six miles home and come back later with another set of
car keys - because my set was in my purse locked
in my locker …at the Y. But it was cold outside and I didn’t have a coat – it
was in the locker too.
So at the time the key dropped I just looked down and saw I
still had time left to tred and time to contemplate how a person would handle
the situation. As I thought about it, the place was filling up fast. When a
staff walked by I called out meekly “excuse me” but he didn’t respond and kept
walking. When my time was done on the tred mill I cleaned my machine and non-chalantly
got on my hands and knees to look under it but didn’t see anything. So I carried
on to the bikes and started pedalling – wondering what to do next?
Another staff passed and heard me this time when I yelled “excuse
me” a little louder. After listening to my plight he asked me not to go
anywhere until he checked it out. Like I could! I keep pedaling trying not to
watch as the man crawled around the machine trying to see underneath. He went
away and I heard a name paged on the intercom - then two guys come back and
start crawling around. When I am done pedaling I join them. One guy goes for a
broom but that doesn’t work. The lady now using the tred mill starts to get
nervous and asks if we want her to leave?
Now the men want to know if the key was important? Dah! I
begin rhyming off all the things that are locked in my locker with the new lock
that only the key under the tred mill will open. They tell me the key may have
went inside instead the track and in that case they can’t get it. But they have
pliers and say they could try to cut the lock off my locker.
I opt for that and we go downstairs to spare myself anymore
embarrassment (or so I think). Outside the change room, a guy walks up with a
huge pair of pliers and gives them to a girl since he can’t go in with a room
full of women. The girl who has never used pliers before does not know how to
work them. The lock I bought is extra strong and would take Superman to snip it
off or three women who all try to manoeuvre the long armed wrench but cannot
even make a dent in the steel.
“What can we do” asked one lady with the pliers in her hand
and sore muscles from trying to snip the lock? As a last resort I say I could
try to break into my Jeep to see if the package with the other lock and three keys
were in it – but I didn’t have a coat. Even though I was sweating and frazzled,
a kind lady lent me hers. I ran outside throwing my arms in the air as I passed
the male staff member who was wondering if we got the lock cut off? No woman (even
three of us) would admit they weren’t strong enough to do it and needed a man
to do the job.
“Gonna try getting into my car,” I said, hurrying passed.
By some miracle I was able to get in and sure enough the
lock package and keys were still in the store bag on the seat. I grabbed them and ran back
in the Y – while behind me the lights of my Jeep are flashing on and off and
the alarm is blaring. I curse under my breathe thinking that while everything
else was breaking down on that old Jeep the freaking alarm would likely last to
its wrecking lot days.
Panting I ran in and gave the lady her coat back, went to
the dressing room, opened the locker and grabbed my stuff. Outside my Jeep still
blaring and flashing has gathered a small crowd. Red-faced and frazzled I dug
the keys out of my purse, unlocked the door and started the engine. I sat totally
still wondering if it had all really happened and if I would ever come back.
That was my first day at the Y – how was yours?
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