The Gym

[Karen (Geophyz)]

Posted by Mike (here)

Posted by Mark/Rahkyt (here)

Posted by Mike (here)
Hey Mark, before i signed up at planet fitness i was at 24 hr fitness. Much more expensive there and all the people looked fit in ways that suggested marathons...but still impressively muscular. They looked like european footballers. And they were all bouncy and enthusiastic and dressed in all the latest fancy sporting gear and so forth. And here i am, dressed like Rocky Balboa in Rocky 1, sweating awkwardly thru my grey sweatshirt, panting away ..trying to keep up in some embarrassing way. I felt silly in there and lasted about a week lol.

Maybe I'm right where i belong at planet fitness! Lol

Yeh, I totally get that, I'm a pretty big dude, 6'4 and 280 pounds, so I look imposing, especially with the middle-age gut. I'm really strong, but it's old man strength with no endurance to go with it, especially with my current long-covid breathlessness still going on.

Being around the babies and the fitness junkies is a bit uncomfortable when I allow myself to even care, which is rarely. No holding in of the gut, no trying to look cute. Appealing in any way to the Gen Z kiddos is creepy at my age and I try not to even interact with them directly. I'm starting to appreciate the old codger modality, I look forward to expressing it even more directly as I age.

Old man strength with no endurance lol! Brilliant That's me to a "t" , tho I'm not nearly as big as you. If you need someone to help move a huge entertainment stand, or drag a bookshelf down a flight of stairs, I'm your guy. But if you need someone to do something repetitive, that requires perpetual motion, like shoveling a driveway for example, I'm done after about 5 mins


I'm still sucking in the belly a little, but i aspire to your attitude, which i find to be refreshingly honest.

Thank you Mike, you reduced me to laughter on a day where I had very little to laugh about!

[Anka]

There were times in my youth when I went by train often and every time there were "characters" I saw, but I didn't know at that time that I could make analogies, maybe it was cooler that way
Cool thread Mike!

People were very talkative, so I didn't get rid of the question "Where are you going miss?" at least.
I've always had good manners, but I didn't like talking so much.
Sometimes their grimaces were so obvious that I had to look out the window, even though sometimes it was night. Later I chose to read a book, listen to music in headphones and have that face of mine, without expression at all. I was so unapproachable to questions that I was like you know? when you have the intuition that in a cartoon someone starts singing ... and you dislike that ... I think I was actually a stranger creature than them, because some of them felt hesitant to approach me and that it bothered me even more ... then it was complex and I was too young

Now, with the same expressionless face, but in the softest kind voice, I ask people about the weather or where they are going, and even if I talk to them, they don't seem to see me anymore, they are always distracted by their thoughts.

Sometimes I look at them the way they look out the train window, and those looks I can't forget, they're so deep, so all i can do is keep my mouth shut.
But looking at them, with all their particular characteristics, they are creatures that I now understand more, sometimes their sadness and joy reach me, but I can't tell them anything but to wish them a good day
But there will always be comic or weird characters as well that I see, and I'm convinced that I'm one of them for the others...

[onawah]

Mike has a wonderful gift for making us laugh just when things seem darkest.
He's pulled me out of the doldroms many a time, and I appreciate him so much for that.

Posted by Karen (Geophyz) (here)

Thank you Mike, you reduced me to laughter on a day where I had very little to laugh about!

[Mike]

Quick update on Jason Vorhees: at one point tonight he saddled up next me, on the adjacent bench press, and I got a close look at him. He even removed his hankerchief from his face for a moment. He had a pitted, grizzled face, which was what I would have expected but it also strangely wasn't. I think it's simply because he'd created so much mystery by wearing his face covering so diligently that there's no way his real face could have lived up to my expectations. Had he had decomposing flesh and maggots crawling out of empty eye sockets I might still have subconsciously wished there was an axe wound too. So there was no way he could win with me.

And then, while exercising, he made some noises that indicated effort. Grunting and so forth. The real Vorhees would have never done that. It would have been most uncool for a supernatural killer to sweat while lifting 185lbs.

So Vorhees lost a little of his mysterious aura with me tonight.

[Mike]

Tonight the character i referred to in my O.P. as "Marilyn Manson" was in rare form. He's the guy, as I explained earlier, who loves to use machines meant for one specific body part for some other body part altogether. For example, he'll use a bicep machine to work triceps, a quad machine for back, and so forth. It's absolutely absurd. Why he does it is anyone's guess but I think it's largely performative. I think he views himself as some kind of fitness visionary or something..and by contorting himself into awkward positions on machines meant for some other body part when he could comfortably perform the exercise on the appropriate machine, he seems to be trying to impress with some sort of misguided creativity. Whatever it is, I think it's obnoxious and annoying.

Tonight he was using my favorite machine when I arrrived, so I was annoyed instantly..even before I saw what stupid f#cked up exercise he was attempting. The machine he was using is called a "smith machine". A smith machine is normally used for bench pressing and squatting. It's a bar on a guided track basically.

Manson had a bench positioned under the bar, like you would if you were going to perform a bench press. Then he stood on the bench, placed his right foot under the bar, and lifted his knee as high as it would go, and then brought it back down...up and down, up and down. Then he did the same with his left leg...just lifting the bar - with no weight on it mind you - with his feet, up and down, up and down...

I didn't even pretend that I wasn't watching him. It was too fascinating to look away. And I'm not kidding even a little when i say i came within a hairsbreath of approaching him and saying: what in the ever-loving f#ck are you doing??? I just hit my breaking point with the guy. I stopped myself from saying anything tho. I've been in one fight in a gym, many many years ago, and I didn't want this to be fight #2. I'm just too old for that sort of thing.

Anyway, I think I made him at least uncomfortable enough to wrap up his weird exercise pretty quickly, and I got my workout in. All the other characters I used to see are no longer coming in, so this was the first bit of action in a while

[DSKlausler]

Jumping right in the middle here Mike... have you ever spoken to him (your "Marilyn Manson)?

Some really ignorant people out there... I see whacky things just running. I HAVE spoken to some; they believe their gurus - whomever is the latest - and regardless of bodily harm.

I actually gave up; logic, education, and experience are no match for "TV" and "social media".

[Mike]

Posted by DSKlausler (here)
Jumping right in the middle here Mike... have you ever spoken to him (your "Marilyn Manson)?

Some really ignorant people out there... I see whacky things just running. I HAVE spoken to some; they believe their gurus - whomever is the latest - and regardless of bodily harm.

I actually gave up; logic, education, and experience are no match for "TV" and "social media".

No, I've never spoken to him. I don't speak to anyone in there really. My fear is that they'll misinterpret my friendliness as an invitation to chat whenever they see me. I've had to deal with those sorts over the years. In response to that kind of thing I've developed a habit of wearing headphones nearly all the time when I'm in there - even when I'm not listening to music - so I can pretend to not hear people when they try to engage me. It's been a pretty effective strategy.

The thing about Manson is (well, there's lots of things, but this is one): that ridiculous exercise he was doing last night didn't even require him to stand on the bench. He could have just lowered the bar to ground level and done it that way. But instead he balanced himself on one foot while standing on a bench and lifting the bar with his opposite foot. Nothing about it made sense. And that's typical of nearly everything he does. It's hard to describe because it's like this multilayered pointlessness. Where does one even begin to explain?

It amuses me 95% of the time. But last night it mostly annoyed me because I was in a sour mood to begin with and he was using the machine I wanted to use.

[DSKlausler]

Posted by Mike (here)

Posted by DSKlausler (here)
Jumping right in the middle here Mike... have you ever spoken to him (your "Marilyn Manson)?

Some really ignorant people out there... I see whacky things just running. I HAVE spoken to some; they believe their gurus - whomever is the latest - and regardless of bodily harm.

I actually gave up; logic, education, and experience are no match for "TV" and "social media".

No, I've never spoken to him. I don't speak to anyone in there really. My fear is that they'll misinterpret my friendliness as an invitation to chat whenever they see me. I've had to deal with those sorts over the years. In response to that kind of thing I've developed a habit of wearing headphones nearly all the time when I'm in there - even when I'm not listening to music - so I can pretend to not hear people when they try to engage me. It's been a pretty effective strategy.

The thing about Manson is (well, there's lots of things, but this is one): that ridiculous exercise he was doing last night didn't even require him to stand on the bench. He could have just lowered the bar to ground level and done it that way. But instead he balanced himself on one foot while standing on a bench and lifting the bar with his opposite foot. Nothing about it made sense. And that's typical of nearly everything he does. It's hard to describe because it's like this multilayered pointlessness. Where does one even begin to explain?

It amuses me 95% of the time. But last night it mostly annoyed me because I was in a sour mood to begin with and he was using the machine I wanted to use.

Is it possible that he's just doing these things in an attempt to receive commentary; an experiment in socialization/confrontation?

It seems that your reason for headphones is contradictory to staring the guy down.

I say fukkit, and see what's cookin. If it proves to be nutso; then give him an over-the-top nutso reaction. Doubtful that future contact will be initiated. Of course I'd be cautious with my body language.

[Mike]

Posted by DSKlausler (here)

Posted by Mike (here)

Posted by DSKlausler (here)
Jumping right in the middle here Mike... have you ever spoken to him (your "Marilyn Manson)?

Some really ignorant people out there... I see whacky things just running. I HAVE spoken to some; they believe their gurus - whomever is the latest - and regardless of bodily harm.

I actually gave up; logic, education, and experience are no match for "TV" and "social media".

No, I've never spoken to him. I don't speak to anyone in there really. My fear is that they'll misinterpret my friendliness as an invitation to chat whenever they see me. I've had to deal with those sorts over the years. In response to that kind of thing I've developed a habit of wearing headphones nearly all the time when I'm in there - even when I'm not listening to music - so I can pretend to not hear people when they try to engage me. It's been a pretty effective strategy.

The thing about Manson is (well, there's lots of things, but this is one): that ridiculous exercise he was doing last night didn't even require him to stand on the bench. He could have just lowered the bar to ground level and done it that way. But instead he balanced himself on one foot while standing on a bench and lifting the bar with his opposite foot. Nothing about it made sense. And that's typical of nearly everything he does. It's hard to describe because it's like this multilayered pointlessness. Where does one even begin to explain?

It amuses me 95% of the time. But last night it mostly annoyed me because I was in a sour mood to begin with and he was using the machine I wanted to use.

Is it possible that he's just doing these things in an attempt to receive commentary; an experiment in socialization/confrontation?

It seems that your reason for headphones is contradictory to staring the guy down.

I say fukkit, and see what's cookin. If it proves to be nutso; then give him an over-the-top nutso reaction. Doubtful that future contact will be initiated. Of course I'd be cautious with my body language.

Well I wasn't really staring him down in any kind of tough guy way. It was more like a is-he-really-doing-this? type of staring. Normally I merely notice him doing silly things without stopping to stare. This time I couldn't help myself. It was a combination of impatience, frustration, and lousy mood that made me drop my manners and gawk at the guy. My attitude was more like, ok, you want some attention, do you? Well I'm going to stand here and watch you till it becomes uncomfortable for both of us. It was an act that was likely more unpleasant for me than him, but I thought it cunning

[Kryztian]

Mike, are you familiar with Dolores Cannon's theory of The Backdrop People? This is from her books, The Convoluted Universe I think Volume 3 and also in Volume 4. This is all from information given to her from "the beyond" through her patients while they were having hypnosis sessions with her.

The theory runs something like this: most of the people you meet in life and have meaningful relationships with are real people with real consciousness and eternal souls. However, when you pass through a busy airport or walk down a city crowded city street, many of the people there are not real. They are just bodies there to fill in the space, sort of like the extras in a movie set when they are filming a crowd scene.

unbeknownst to us, other energies were also sent to Earth to play bit parts in our scenarios we have created, to act in our illusion. These were called the Backdrop People, who come to live, breathe, work and die, but have no real purpose other than to be the extras in our play; the backdrop to act against. [...] They are just energy and are taken from one star system to another to play their parts. Rather like the extras in a film who spend their entire lives playing that insignificant part and never getting to play the leading role.

[...] They are there to provide the drama for our illusion. They said, “They are taken from one place to another to do whatever they need to do there because they are just energy.” I think the only way to look at this is with all emotions removed. [...] Now when I'm in a crowded airport, cruise ship or busy city and I see all the bustling people going about their business seemingly oblivious of each other, I think “backdrop people.” An interesting concept and one that probably has more significance than I realize.

I don't think Dolores ever hung out at a gym, but that sounds exactly where the many of these backdrops critters would hang out between gigs on their off hours. Of course they don't want to develop there physique too nicely because that would call attention to themselves when they are just trying to look ordinary, so that hang out there without really working out. If they are talking on the cell phone it's probably to find out when and where there next gig is: "Rush hour is coming, do you need me to fill out the subways?" "No, Southwest Airlines is having delays so we need more back drop people to fill this airports." It sounds like Marilyn Manson wants to be promoted to a foreground person and is working on that in his off hours at the gym. Someone better show him his place.

Granted, the Backdrop People thing is a pretty bizarre idea, but the people you are describing sound even more bizarre. It just doesn't seem like they could be real humans with jobs and families and real thoughts and eternal souls. It just seems more plausable that they are some energy form that floats around the universe to fill things out in the back of your consciousness or creep you out if you examine them a little too closely.

So, if I were you, I wouldn't think too much about these people or scrutinize their actions and personality. Just let them subside around the periphery of your consciousness, which is their job. Piercing the veil of the matrix is just too disconcerting, the red pill just too bitter. You might invite demons worse than Jason Vorhess is you try and unmask him.

[rgray222]

Posted by Mike (here)
My attitude was more like, ok, you want some attention, do you? Well I'm going to stand here and watch you till it becomes uncomfortable for both of us. It was an act that was likely more unpleasant for me than him, but I thought it cunning

What a great comment, I literally burst out loud laughing.

[Mike]

Hey Chris, that's an interesting theory. I do know about the backdrop people idea, and I think I actually started a thread on it some time ago.

Ive always thought of the group in there as sort of lifeless apparitions running on a program. They generally all lack a spark of any kind. Then again, I am in there around midnight most nights, so that could explain it.

rgray222, my mother tells me that when I was throwing tantrums as a toddler I'd hold my breath till my face turned blue. All this to get my way. So I haven't come very far. I'm still willing to punish myself if I'm convinced it will also punish someone else who's irritating me. Oh, all while imagining how clever I am, of course

[RunningDeer]

Posted by Mike (here)
I think I actually started a thread on it some time ago.

Mike's thread: Dolores Cannon: The Back Drop People

[rgray222]

Posted by Mike (here)
I approach the dumbell area and who do I see?

[Mike]

Posted by rgray222 (here)

Posted by Mike (here)
I approach the dumbell area and who do I see?

If you work really hard and take it one day at a time, you can achieve anything.

[Gemma13]