The Towel

Larry,

I know that it's been awhile. Sorry. The move, etc. has kept me busy. You'll be glad to know that I am about 50% settled in and I imagine that the last 50% will be a piece of cake.

I work out at work, almost every day. It's become a routine and one that I am not embarrassed to admit I entertain. It's been a challenge for me though, what with the towels and the workout clothes. At first, I would bring one shirt and one pair of shorts to work and leave them in a locker all week. Gross, I know. But, usually by the next day, everything would be dry and only slightly smelly. However, after 9.11, we were forced to evacuate our lockers and asked to not use them on a regular basis. We were allowed to store our belongings in the lockers on a daily basis but the authorities decided that it would be best if we not keep things locked in there on a more permanent basis, for safety's sake. Long story short (too late, I know), I've had no place to store a towel or clothes each day. My solution to this dilemma was to bring clean clothes in a gym bag on a daily basis and use someone else's towel. What? I know. I am a bit of a germophobe so this is no doubt, a contradiction of extraordinary proportions. Nevertheless, that was my solution. And it works most of the time. But as time passed, I began to realize that I was in fact, using someone else's towel and I began to wonder, often as I dried hurriedly, whose towel it was and were they not occasionally in the locker room with me, watching as I dried, trying desperately to muster up the courage to confront me and demand that I stop using their towel to dry my privates and all of the other parts, of course. These days, the awkwardness of the situation is probably far more serious in my head than it is for anyone else. At least, I imagine that it is. Now, when I am done showering and the locker room is occupied by others, I must often decide whether or not I want to force this impending confrontation or drip-dry. More often than not, I dry quickly, near the stalls and hidden from view, and am forced to walk back to my locker completely naked, but without the evidence in hand. It's tough, not because I am ashamed. Difficult because I have to work with these people and I think that it's a little difficult and unusual to work with people that you can imagine naked. Especially those of the same gender.

Creepy.

What's up Steve. Here you are in the hall and I have seen you naked. How uncomfortable it must be for you. It is for me as well. Anyway, good day.

See.

Sorry again about the down-time. I promise to be more diligent. I'm not sure what diligent means.

Sincerely,

Paul