Thursday, August 6, 2009

The Personal Trainer


We meet at a local Starbuck’s about two blocks from my house. When I get there, I find him sitting under an umbrella outside. I greet him, go in to get a drink, and sit down.

The first thing I can’t help but notice about Mr. Personal Trainer is his huge biceps. This is a feature that always impresses me. I hope one day I’ll get the chance to squeeze them. They are so huge he could probably do curls while I hold on.

As soon as I put my drink down, he looks up from the notepad he had been busily writing in. He shows me what he was working on-something I’d suggested to him in a previous email conversation.

You list on one side of the paper your great joys in life-all the things that bring you the most satisfaction. On the other side of the paper, you list what you feel are the world’s greatest needs. Then, you try to find where the two lists intersect and spend at least a few minutes every day trying to do something that speaks to both.

His greatest joy is seeing his daughter laugh. We talk a little about her and he seems to have all the best qualities of a good man and good father. He will do anything for her. Good for him.

I’m impressed so far. He’s simple, speaks eloquently but doesn’t seem to be showing off. And, did I mention his biceps?!?

We talk about his experiences overseas in the Marine Corps. By the way, if you ever find yourself needing to jump out of a helicopter with nothing but a rope, here are two helpful tips: 1) don’t hold on too tightly to the rope, but of course hold on; and 2) keep your feet turned out, ankles together so that when you land you don’t break any bones.

My one complaint about Mr. Personal Trainer is that I can’t totally tell if he is really listening to me because he doesn’t respond much. We talk about the book, “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus.” I think he and I are both at opposite ends of the spectrum-he being the man and me the woman (in case that wasn’t obvious).

But, opposites attract. I think I am drawn to his sturdiness. He feels to me like someone who would be very dependable, very what-you-see-is-what-you-get. We talk about spirituality and Karate (he has a black belt).

He has a kind face and I am attracted to him. However, he also mentions that he’s pretty much been in a slump (depression?) for the past little while. He seems reluctant to make much of an effort to try dating me but he also seems interested in me.

He strikes me as someone who’s been hurt one too many times and is not in a place right now where he wants to make himself vulnerable. Lucky for him, I’m not planning on making a big thing out of anything so the pressure’s off.

We’ve partaken in some email volleys since the date, but no subsequent meeting has yet been suggested. He did mention that he might try coming to the church I attend, so perhaps we will reconnect there.

1 comment:

  1. Sounds too good to be true...so of course, you should pursue it! Good luck Jenny!

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