Growing up the youngest is tough. Growing up the youngest and the only girl is worse. I played rough and tumble with my brothers the best that I could, watching Batman and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and playing with legos, but in the end I was still wearing a dress. There were things my brothers and I just couldn't see eye to eye on until we were practically adults.
My parents are saints. I should probably start with that. After all, they kept us all alive this far, despite our best efforts. To this day they are an emblem of unconditional love and support. My mom tells me I have access to the best bank of all, the bank of M&P, Mom and Pop, when it comes to school expenses and doctor visits and vet appointments.
When I was young, my dad established Daddy Daughter Day. Every Saturday morning, I would get up early and my dad and I would drive thirty minutes to the closest YMCA where I would go to a swim class and he would use the gym. Afterwards, we would usually get some breakfast at McDonald's (therefore negating all that good healthy exercise) and head home for Saturday morning cartoons with my brothers and wait for my mom to get home from work. I have many fond memories of Daddy Daughter Day, and it was a special time that was just for me, not something I had to share with my brothers.
One of the biggest things I took away from these days at the Y was a fear of athlete's foot. I can't say that it is truly a fear, but more of a point of personal hygiene and gym etiquette that my dad felt was important. To this day, my bare feet do not touch the ground in a communal style bathroom/locker room. When I went away to college (however briefly), I brought shower shoes. It puzzles me that no one else appears to have this information at LA Fitness, which only reinforces my shower shoe habit.
Nearly every time we would go into our respective locker rooms, he would remind me to keep my shoes on because I didn't want to get athlete's foot. Now, as an adult, this little reminder still sounds off in my head when I enter the gym. I guess what I'm trying to say is "Dad, I was listening."
And he's a pretty smart guy. I have never had athlete's foot.
No comments:
Post a Comment