Day 45
September 14, 2006

A few weeks ago I heard an older woman, probably in her 70’s, chatting up another young woman at the locker near me. At first I didn’t pay much attention, but then I noticed she kept firing questions at her and I guess the younger woman felt obliged to answer. The usual questions, “What’s your name? What do you do? Have you ever been to Germany?” Anyhow, when I got curious enough to glance over I saw that the old woman was completely naked except for two huge cotton balls she had stuffed into her ears. It made her look ever so slightly like a rabbit with white tufts of fur poking out of her head. The conversation went on for a while. I hoped at some point she would make an attempt to put on something, anything. But naked woman was steadfast in her determination to remain (insert witty quip here-naked as a jaybird, as the day she was born, yadda yadda) unclothed.

Finally, I think other people were beginning to find it odd. Members came and went. People showered, dressed and left. Naked lady remained. She had her hands on her hips and wore a very intense look on her face as she grilled the other woman about a trip to Europe. Finally, the younger woman, having done everything she needed to do in a locker room, wished the older woman well and left. Unfortunately, this was the exact moment I approached the make-up counter in an attempt to quickly blow dry my hair. Naked woman whipped around and in one stride was right up in my face. “Tell me your name,” she demanded. I did and then turned on the dryer super high with a shrug and a look like “oops, sorry, noisy thing, can’t hear you.” She stood there watching me with those ridiculous looking cotton balls still stuffed in her ears. I finished and before she had time to ask me a question about Europe I bid her goodbye and strode purposefully toward the exit. But as I walked past the sauna I heard her voice behind me say “Tell me your name.”
I couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for the unlucky recipient.