overthinking

Back to the gym — finally. But this is not a post about working out.

At Planet Fitness (the Judgment Free Zone!) the other day, I was thinking…a lot.

Not unusual or remarkable I know. Everyone is in their won world at the gym, white earphones plugged in, televisions aglow,everything in the gym moving back and forth rhythmatically like the vibrating of an oasis in the desert. It’;s easy to disappear into you own little world.

Okay but so here’s what I was thinking about. I was thinking about how much I was thinking. I know, so postmod, right?

there were ten televisions, each on its own channel. I could feel my eyes constantly darting back and forth. What was Campbell Brown saing aboutthe two journalists Clinton rescued? Why is the girl in the bikini yelling at the spiky-haired guy with the frosted tips on VH1? Why is that gay black couple painting the walls of their home that horrible color of fuchsia on HGTV? What was the guy in the black hat doing to that woman on the spanish language channel?

I could feel my neck moving constantly as I hit the fifteen minute mark on the elliptical, nodding my head to the beat of this awesome song my iPhone had chosen to play for me–a girl was singing about Fran Drescher and other weirdness to a really hypnotic beat. I glanced down from the wall of televisions to see what band this was (Fight like Apes, highly recommended), and it occured to me–I was really giving my mind a workout too.

As I was pumping away on the elliptical machine, sweat dripping off my nose every few seconds, not only was I putting my body to the test (for the first time in a month shutup no judging) but I was swinging my attention left and right, shooting glances in a mad and random spray all over the room like a eleven-year-old with an uzi. And my brain was keeping up just fine. “What’s that? Who is that? Why is she upset? How much is that guy lifting?”

Either that or I am just totally ADD. Wouldn’t be the first time I heard that, either.