you might remember that way back in December, the husband bought me a fantastic Chrismukah gift – – – the gift of a gym membership. i know, romantic. but, before you start sending the poor guy hate letters, know that this was what i wanted. it’s not like he pulled a Tom Cruise and did this. this was what i talked about pretty much all day, every day.
him: "babe, what do you want for dinner?"
me: "I want a gym membership."
him: "should i wear the black pants or my jeans?"
me: "erm. i want a gym membership."
something like that.
anyway, i’ve now been going religiously for the last 4 months. (well, i took a little break while we were away for passover. but i don’t count that)
so, when you go on the same days, at the same time, you tend to see some of the same people. pretty much all of the same people. there’s the pregnant girl who always wears her green lulus and orange tank. there’s the teacher at my kids’ school. there’s the woman in the wheelchair. there’s the mother-daughter tag team who both wear crocs to work out. there’s the moody woman who polices everyone on the machines…she makes sure no one goes over the 30 minute limit. there’s the woman who always works out in scrubs. there’s the woman who spends too much time at the tanning salon and wears not nearly enough clothing.
so, over the past four months, i’ve seen them all change. i’ve seen the ones who have lost weight. and ones who have gained weight. and ones like me, who haven’t changed a bit.
and then there’s the pregnant girl. who i saw both yesterday and today. and she’s no longer pregnant. no. she’s done gone and had her baby. and is back at the gym. still wearing her green lulus and orange tank. only now she doesn’t have a giant belly. she’s got a little bit of a belly that’s smaller than mine. i hate her. but, then again, i feel like i know her. even if we’ve never spoken. only exchanged glances while passing each other in the gym.
but i want to congratulate her. i want to ask her if she had a girl or a boy. i want to know how her labor was. i want to know what the heck she’s doing back at the gym so quickly and how she can get away with looking so damn good.
there’s just something about sharing sweaty space with someone for an hour each day. i mean, these truly are people i see more than i see my friends. but would i be crossing some boundary if i started talking to these people? i mean, usually, when i’m sweaty and out of breath the last thing i want to do is talk to people. but maybe everyone’s not crazy like me.
what do you think? totally normal….or really weird??
i hear you! there are those pple at the gym or on the subway whom i see every day and feel like i know. often, however, we don’t even say hi. sometimes, i’ve connected with pple in siuations like that and then the next time you see them, they act all awkward. wierd, huh?
I think you should talk to her… I am of the belief that I have never met a stranger, simply a friend I have yet to make… What’s the worst thing that can happen?? Ex-preggo girl will think you’re crazy for being friendly? Not likely! Chat her up. Chances are you will make a new gym buddy…
not just crocs…mother and daughter matching crocs….!!
I can totally relate. I feel really weird about talking to people at the gym. I think it’s because when I go there I’m in my own mindspace and just don’t feel the need (like I usually do).
But congratulating her would be cool. My cousin was like that. Honestly. She had her baby in December and is getting married in June, and is already back in shape. She went back after about a week.
LOL – maybe you should pass on your ebay lululemons hint to the woman wearing the green lulus.
PS crocs … at the gym?
She’s totally waiting for you to ask her about her baby… do it!
Totally normal…I have those urges all the time. When we first moved here I kept seeing the same gal around town, with two little kids in tow. Never got up the courage to say hi. Ran into her months later when I went to a new playgroup, got chatting, and found out she’d noticed me as well but been too shy. We giggled over that quite a bit. Just play it straight. Laughingly tell her you feel like you know her and wanted to introduce yourself, etc…Betcha she smiles…or maybe even laughs. =)
Who doesn’t love talking about their own babies (not to mention telling their birth story!) Like Marcia, I will (and do) talk to anybody. I am *such* an embarassing mother!
I’m one of those who will talk to everyone so I say go ahead. She’ll probably love the conversation, especially after having a baby, when you’re usually on the look out for people you can converse with – or maybe that was just me…
I would definitely reach out and say something! She’s probably just waiting for you to go first.
I think that congratulating her would be nice. Especially if you say all those nice things !