gym Etiquette

I’m at the gym this morning, a little later then I wanted to be mainly because I like to use the steam room after my workout but also to avoid this older gentleman who is always wanting to talk to me.

Now the gym is my time.  I go to exercise and I don’t really like to exercise so I treat myself to a book for pure fun.  I only allow myself to read it while I’m working out and while occasionally they do have good stories that I sometimes work into sermons but for the most part it is just pure indulgence, cotton candy reading.  I’m not looking to make friends or carry on any deep conversations which is one of the reasons that even when I don’t need to go so early I still do to avoid the older crowd that is there to socialize.

So as usual I’m on the recumbent bike and I’m reading my latest book and I’m pretty into it because it’s just a fun read.  When the guy I started coming earlier because of walks in and plops down on the recumbent bike next to me, and asks, “What are you reading now?”  I pretend not to hear him like I’m deeply absorbed in the book because like I said it’s my time, I didn’t come there to talk.  But as usual he doesn’t take the hint and asks again, “What book are you reading now?”  Fortunately my current book doesn’t have any religious overtones or double meaning like the last book I was reading and he tried to strike up a conversation.

Now, first I want to say the guy is okay, nothing against him he’s just an older pastor.  I know this because I’ve overheard him talking about it in the locker room.  So I know he’s just trying to be friendly and maybe possibly witness to me but I’m on limited time here and he’s cutting into my prime book reading for fun time.

So I tell him the title, which is “King Dork” last time it was “Adam” by Ted Dekker.  Of course he had never heard of Ted Dekker and was telling me he knew of an “Adam” the first man and blah, blah, blah and was asking if it was about that and so on and so forth and the whole time I’m thinking man I just want to exercise and read my book in peace.

Well this time he didn’t have anything to relate to it and asked if was a novel or something and I said yes just a novel pure enjoyment.  Fortunately he let me finish my exercising in peace.  But as soon as I was finished and got the cleaning stuff he’s asking what it’s about.

And the whole time I’m thinking isn’t there some etiquette for the gym?  Like if you’re reading or have head phones on it means, “I didn’t come here to make new friends please don’t talk to me.”  I mean I’m sure that the co-eds that come don’t really want the creepy older guys hitting on them.  I mean if I was one of them I wouldn’t.  I say hello, good morning if I pass them walking by on the way to the locker rooms or where ever like I do to everyone but that is the extent of my conversation.

And then there is the other guys that like to carry on a conversation while their butt naked in the locker room.  What’s up with that?  I don’t really want to be talking to naked guys just something wrong with that.  Don’t they cover that in gym class?  Maybe it should be in the orientation when you join the gym.

So I’ll be getting up earlier and make sure I’m done before the ones who want to talk get there.

The importance of voting

Dear Editor,

A wise man once told me, “People who don’t vote deserve bad government.”  So I will start off by saying shame on us for not voting.  I will also say that people who do not vote have no reason or right to complain about the decisions of our government.  Those who will not participate and contribute to their self government at the most basic of involvement by voting should expect to be disappointed by our government.

However I believe the greater shame should be upon our elected school board directors with their decision to follow the Chickasaw County Auditor’s recommendation to consolidate our polling station and have only one poling station at the welcome center in Nashua.

Now while voter turn out in the last school district election was dismal, in both districts, 25% of the total voter turnout came from the now closed District 1 (Plainfield) polling center.  District 1 voter turnout was 1/3 of the District 2 (Nashua) polling center.  Statistically those are not terrible numbers and should be interpreted, by any reasonable person who wants to encourage voter turn out, as justification to keep both polling centers open.

I’m willing to give our directors the benefit of the doubt and choose to believe that they made this decision solely based on the Chickasaw County Auditor’s desire to save money.  However, it does appear as though the school board is trying to discourage voter turnout from District 1.  And given that the school board is planning on putting our school district millions of dollars in debt to expand facilities in Nashua while at the same time underutilizing existing facilities in Plainfield, as well as reducing staffing to cut the budget one could surmise that the board is penny wise and pound foolish.

Most likely this letter will anger some and they will resort to calling me names and insinuating things about me again.  But the facts speak for themselves.  Our elected officials are running the school system how they see fit with little regard to the will of the people.  And why should they care what the people want if we cannot even make the effort to vote or inform them of our opinions.

I encourage all eligible voters to vote in the up coming purpose statement vote.  I also encourage us to use this vote as a referendum on the recent decision the school board made to consolidate grades 7 through 12 at the high school and to place the district millions of dollars in debt.

Sincerely

Shawn Geer

Plainfield, Iowa.