Funny thing about drama, if you are not part of it, but see it happening, is it really drama? That’s the question I ask myself every time I go into the pool at Lifetime Fitness in Garden City.
New policy at the gym
Recently, the club instituted a policy where you need to reserve a lane to swim. This was never told to the membership at large. So one day, as I was swimming in my lane and my two swim buddies were swimming in their own lanes, a man came up to one of them. He started to argue with them. I don’t know what he said or what they said because my headphones were in and all I could see was what looked like a heated discussion. Hands were going as the people spoke and faces started turning red.
In my own fishbowl
I was in my own little fishbowl, swimming back and forth. For a few moments, I thought maybe I should shut off my headphones and find out what was going on. And yet, I knew I needed to get this workout in and if I stopped, I wouldn’t have enough time.
Both my friends got out of the pool. Now I could see them talking with the lifeguard. Hmmm, what were they saying. Focus, I said to myself. If I think about what’s happening around me, I’ll never get this done.
When I got out of the pool I asked the lifeguard what’s going on.
He told me that there is registration now and that you need to reserve a spot. When I was finished, I went thru my phone and scheduled all upcoming dates. (Now I have to remember to do it 6 days prior to the reservation.)
The next time I swam
I swam two days later and the lifeguards got it together with the new schedule. They wrote people’s names on a card in front of the lane. When I got to my lane, there was a woman in it. The lifeguard asked if I was “Hilary.” I nodded. Next he went to the lane and put up the red buoy. “This lane is reserved,” he told the woman swimming in the lane.
She was angry. The guy in the first lane, who was wearing a face shield, got out and let the woman swim. He went into the hot pool to swim.
At Lifetime, there is a four lane lap pool and a five lane hot pool where the temperature is 85 degrees.
As I was swimming back and forth, I noticed this couple swapping lanes.
I felt relaxed. I’m going to get this done without drama.
My next bit of drama came when I saw 7 walk in. (7 is a woman who always comes at 7 O’Clock on the dot and the last time I was swimming, she started yelling at me that I was in the pool too long.) My heart panicked. Is she going to start in with me? I had my headphones in. While she was talking, I didn’t hear anything. All I heard was the Bob Marley sing about three little birds…
She found her reserved lane. I breathed.
Continuing with my workout, I started to feel like I have this lane for my allocated time. No one is going to bother me and yet, through my peripheral vision, I could still see people yelling at the lifeguards.
What a shame! These people aren’t making that much money and they don’t deserve to be yelled at!
Getting out of the pool
As I’m getting out of the pool and packing up, I tell someone who is waiting that my lane is free. I didn’t need it for the additional time. The guy in the face shield walks over to me and says, “have a good day, darling.”
“Darling?” I said out loud. “I’m not your darling!” As I said that, the lifeguard laughed.
As I prepare for the 5.5 mile Cross Bay Swim, I need to start blocking all of this out and focus on the swim. Drama will always be there…
Is your pool drama free?
*Since this happened, Lifetime sent out a notice to all members about the reservations and it seems to be better!
