OMG! This guy wears jeans to the gym...
Sun_Wukong
Posts: 131
in Chit-Chat
...and it's freak'n'awesome!
Why you might ask?
I frequent a 24/7 gym that is unstaffed after hours and usually lift at night, I have been a member for several months and could not help but notice a slightly disheveled gentleman coming in late at night and working out after putting his swag (large backpack) away.
Now I don't care what a person wears to the gym, it is their business alone, but one night we struck up a conversation and I learnt a little about this individual, his circumstances and ingenuity....
...turns out he is currently homeless and at the moment we are coming into a cold winter and well the country I reside in has a shortage of affordable and safe shelter for the homeless. When a hostel/shelter is available they usually take a substantial amount of a persons income making it near impossible to save for a bond, clothing etc
Now my gym offers membership for $20 dollars(substantially less than shelters) a week and this smart cookie signed up, cooks his meals across the road on the BBQ area near the beach then comes in and proceeds to do a workout followed by a lengthy casual cardio session on the exercise bikes whilst enjoying the flatscreen TVs to catch up on current events or just enjoy the pleasure of watching television. Afterwards he is able to take advantage of the showering facilities and leave, hopefully to find a warm place to sleep during the day.
I truly applaud this guy, his ingenuity and I have seen a profound difference in his demeanor and confidence as he gets fitter.
I hope one day he lands back on his feet, I don't know what the future holds for him but I already admire him for thinking outside the box and at the very least improving his health while having a safe place to get out of the elements.
ETA:
/rant
Why you might ask?
I frequent a 24/7 gym that is unstaffed after hours and usually lift at night, I have been a member for several months and could not help but notice a slightly disheveled gentleman coming in late at night and working out after putting his swag (large backpack) away.
Now I don't care what a person wears to the gym, it is their business alone, but one night we struck up a conversation and I learnt a little about this individual, his circumstances and ingenuity....
...turns out he is currently homeless and at the moment we are coming into a cold winter and well the country I reside in has a shortage of affordable and safe shelter for the homeless. When a hostel/shelter is available they usually take a substantial amount of a persons income making it near impossible to save for a bond, clothing etc
Now my gym offers membership for $20 dollars(substantially less than shelters) a week and this smart cookie signed up, cooks his meals across the road on the BBQ area near the beach then comes in and proceeds to do a workout followed by a lengthy casual cardio session on the exercise bikes whilst enjoying the flatscreen TVs to catch up on current events or just enjoy the pleasure of watching television. Afterwards he is able to take advantage of the showering facilities and leave, hopefully to find a warm place to sleep during the day.
I truly applaud this guy, his ingenuity and I have seen a profound difference in his demeanor and confidence as he gets fitter.
I hope one day he lands back on his feet, I don't know what the future holds for him but I already admire him for thinking outside the box and at the very least improving his health while having a safe place to get out of the elements.
ETA:
/rant
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Replies
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Thank you for this great reminder--we don't know what someone's circumstances are and it's not cool to judge.0
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Sounds like a clever guy. I bet he will land back on his feet eventually.0
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He's definitely one of the smarter ones that got in a terrible bind. He most certainly will get back on his feet in soon
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$20 a week for a gym membership seems pretty high. I have a 24/hr gym nearby that is unstaffed for most of the day (staff only there for about 6 hours a day) and it's $15/month.
Anyway, I think that's very smart and applaud him as well. My uncle and I actually had a similar conversation a few weeks ago and we both agreed if we ever found ourselves homeless, we'd do the same thing.0 -
Someday I hope to live in a world where a man doesn't have to "go home" to a gym but instead can go home to his house. Where he can go to work and afford a few extras, like his own big screen TV.0
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Smart guy!
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Oh, and PS. I went to a Zumba work out the other day and one person wore flip flips. One person wore a type of dress shoe. And the last person wore no shoes. It was kind of strange, but to each their own.0
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very smart guy - I applaud what he is doing.
I used to work with a guy who had a conversion van with a built-in mini-fridge and a couch/bed. he lived in the van and used his gym membership to stay in shape and provide shower facilities on a daily basis. He would find a park or a lit parking lot where he could park the van at night while he slept and hit the gym in the morning before work. Don't know how long he did this, but it was long enough for him to save the money to buy a house - for cash!!
(edit for spelling)0 -
Agreed, I would like to see that as well but sadly even if there were affordable housing options and jobs for everyone there are other factors/variables that can make things difficult to function normally in society (I use the term normally very loosely), such as mental illness, substance abuse etc but yes it would be nice.Someday I hope to live in a world where a man doesn't have to "go home" to a gym but instead can go home to his house. Where he can go to work and afford a few extras, like his own big screen TV.0 -
I have actually spoken with other mfp members who have been in this very predicament you are describing.very smart guy - I applaud what he is doing.
I used to work with a guy who had a conversion van with a built-in mini-fridge and a couch/bed. he lived in the van and used his gym membership to stay in shape and provide shower facilities on a daily basis. He would find a park or a lit parking lot where he could park the van at night while he slept and hit the gym in the morning before work. Don't know how long he did this, but it was long enough for him to save the money to buy a house - for cash!!
(edit for spelling)
I admire dedication and determination in the face of adversary.0 -
bump
Before I go out, as I liked sharing this story...and the bump gif :devil:
Later.:flowerforyou:0 -
My bad, I meant fortnightly or $40 a month.$20 a week for a gym membership seems pretty high. I have a 24/hr gym nearby that is unstaffed for most of the day (staff only there for about 6 hours a day) and it's $15/month.
Anyway, I think that's very smart and applaud him as well. My uncle and I actually had a similar conversation a few weeks ago and we both agreed if we ever found ourselves homeless, we'd do the same thing.0 -
bump
one last time.0 -
Thank you for sharing this story. It also serves as a reminder that as awful as life can get, someone is having a harder time. I hope this guy lands on his feet soon. He seems very smart.0
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bump
one last time.
excellent bump gif too
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I wouldn't call that a rant!
Thanks for sharing, glad to hear he's getting out of the cold and improving himself in the process... hopefully he's able to afford food as well!0 -
Does he want to be "back on his feet" or is he happy with the way he lives his life. It may be a learned state, but a lot of people (that are smart) and have lived this way for a long time have trouble re-adjusting back to what we consider "normal" life. He may just continue to live life in ways such as this, and that's ok. But, if this is temporary and he wants to get a better paying job when he can then he is on the best track for that. Thank you for sharing. This is very heart warming.0
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Nice post, I enjoyed it. It's horrible, though, when people lose their homes.0
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TBH I didn't ask as I thought it would be rude to ask for information that he did not offer.Does he want to be "back on his feet" or is he happy with the way he lives his life.
I definitely agree with this statement as some people are happy living off the grid as it were, or in other cases as you stated learned "lifestyles" can often be difficult to change...I am a live and let live kind of guy, I am happy just to see this guy enjoying himself and being motivated at a time in his life others may consider quite overwhelming.It may be a learned state, but a lot of people (that are smart) and have lived this way for a long time have trouble re-adjusting back to what we consider "normal" life. He may just continue to live life in ways such as this, and that's ok.
Thanks for the responses guys.:flowerforyou:0 -
Yeah, thanks for sharing. I do wish him the best. He is doing so well in an extremely difficult situation.0
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That's AWESOME! & great positive thinking skills too! WTG!0
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I hope he gets back on his feet soon and that his story will help inspire others 0
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