Another Stupid Thing I Have Done

I have been observing this woman in the weightroom for four months. She is a hard worker. She has a rare intensity.

Today she is wearing shorts from a small college I know. This is the perfect conversation starter.

I tried to outride her on the bike. The only reason I was riding was to talk to her when she got done.

Of course, I could not wait. She had slowed down to a cool down pace for at least five minutes. (I told you she is intense.) So, I get off the bike. I wipe it down. I walk to her. I sit the bottle and towel down. Out of the blue, "Did you go to Mary Washington?" She takes her headphones off reluctantly and answered, "yes." "I went to Bridgewater." She gives me the 'who cares, I am doing something here' look. I do not know when to stop, "did you play sports?" She answers that she played softball. I mumble something about DIII and run to the showers knowing that I have lost.

She is intense. I should have sucked it up and rode the bike until she was done.

The next time I see her, I am going to tell the truth. "I have wanted to talk to you for months, but I am too scared to have anything to say. I also think you are on the outer limits of my league, so why don't we give it a try?" Or, I could say "baby, I could walk you all the way home."

I really want to know why she works so hard.


I am reading John Kenneth Galbraith's Economics Peace and Laughter. I despise Galbraith. But like with his forefathers Marx and Veblen a good economist must read him. He is the foundation for many economists' philosophies.

I am an uninteresting guy, very uninteresting.