An unexpected interaction during my semi-regular gym program yielded the kind of feedback that drives you to keep torturing yourself.

Well almost …

After a brisk cardio workout and innumerable pushups (I forgot to count.) in sweaty heat-induced stuffiness, I head for the locker room and my pre-office shower. Wrapped discreetly – and considerately – in a towel cinched at the waist, I headed to the shower.

As I passed a significantly younger gym denizen leaving the showers, he called out, “Now I know who you remind of!”

I stopped and turned, curious and asked, “Who?”

“Goldberg“!, he said, “You know, the wrestler.”

I was momentarily stunned. Goldberg? The once-upon-a-time WWF wrestling superstar!?! One of the very, very few wrestling personalities I recognize?!? (Sorry, boys.)

THE Goldberg?!? Wow!!

Holy freakin’ moly!! I wanted to run back out to the gym and do another 10 pushups … maybe flip that huge truck tire from hither to yon, just like all the other pumped up studs do!! Throw in a few dead lifts and power squats … and where did I put heavy bag gloves???

Then I ruined it all.

Instead of basking in the glow of an unexpected compliment and allowing the ‘roid-flavored accolade to soak into my obviously impressive physique, I said the stupidest thing possible in such a situation.

I said, “Really?” … a bit too eagerly, maybe a tad desperate.

“Yeah …”, he said, “Just a lot older.”

“Great …”, I muttered, and shuffled off to shower my deflated ego.

Moral of the Story: Shut up and keep your head down … especially at the gym!

UPDATE: It has been brought to my attention that perhaps my gym counterpart was simply referring to me from the neck up; was high on highly-concentrated endorphin powder; or legally blind!

There is no evidence to support any of these claims. The observation was entirely free of descriptive limitation, qualification, bribery, mental defect, addiction or fanciful skullduggery!