I am an old woman who will fight for your honor…
I opened the window in front of my treadmill, got my water bottle and phone all situated, and began my run.
A moment later, a 70-something man comes over, closes that window i just opened, and gets on the treadmill next to me. Slowly.
My first thought is “What the hell?!?” my second thought is “The nerve of this guy!” and then I start seriously considering whether I am willing to fight an old man.
I catch myself in this thought and laugh because, “My God, who do I think I am - @amyjane? I mean, sure, there are certainly circumstances in which I would fight an old person, but window appropriation may not be one of…” I’m thinking, as out of the corner of my eye, I see a woman about the same age as the window-closing villain jump from her treadmill on the opposite side of the gym, and make a beeline for the window in dispute. She flung it open, wider than it was before, and glared at the aged miscreant. He said something to her I could not distinguish, and she responded by looking right at me, smiling, and informing him that this young lady was here first.
I do not know if they knew each other, or if this tough-as-nails woman in the novelty sweatshirt simply felt there was enough injustice in the world, but I do know that I was in the middle of a septuagenerian battle for my honor.
She nodded and smiled at me as she resumed her place on the treadmill in front of the Today Show tv. The breeze felt nice.
