At The Gym

Charlottesville

October 28, 2025

1530

An early winter day in Charlottesville. Very gray (as opposed to normal gray!), 50 degrees and windy; my weather app says it feels like 46 degrees. I think it feels like 36 degrees.

Came to the gym to walk, lift and stretch — not necessarily in that order. Still pursuing that weight loss goal! I’m eating healthy maybe 70 percent of the time. Perhaps a bit more. Funny, part of my drive to work out is so I can do Pilates better.

And the small side wave!!

I started this post because I realize I am constantly judging people here. They don’t have a good jump shot, those folks are out of shape, why is that person doing crunches (don’t they know there are better an exercises, wow that guy is lifting a lot, that guy sure is walking slow, those people sound so sad, why is that millennial at the gym at this time idly day.

My intuitive critical self.

Those thoughts aren’t helpful. Brene Brown would say they are coming from a place of shame, reflecting my insecurities and negative thinking. She has a point. And who am I to judge anyhow? We are all HERE and TRYING. That’s really all that matters.

I’m reminded of a thought that I embraced on my wanderabout — we each have our story. And our outward appearance gives very little indication of what those stories are. In fact, our outward appearance probably belies our stories.

I heard a trainer talking to an elderly client— I’m guessing over 80 years old. The client said how she wasn’t doing exercises at home, she walks 1,000 steps a day and she feels tired all of the time. I’ll admit my mind took those bits of information and concluded that this is a woman who is beginning to give up. I thought that was sad. My point? Thinking about what I wrote above, it’s not my place to judge. But is it my place to care? I think so. If I see that lady here again, I’m going to make sure to smile at her and wish her a good day. Because she deserves it. We all deserve to be respected and treated like we ourselves want to be treated.