For your consideration: An Appropriate Craft Allegory for our times.
Be wary of the Gym that sells you membership based upon Body-Building but puts you to work behind the cash register.
Body-Building attracts interested men when it looks the part.
The Approach
It
was back in the summer of ’01 when I unknowingly began a life-changing
discourse with a man I had known for some time. The subject was one of
which I was very fond, personal development. The conversation didn’t
initially start out on topic though. At first, we discussed self-care, as
in, things that we were doing to take care of ourselves. Very soon
into the talk however, the focus turned from Maintaining health to Establishing
new ground. That new ground was “Body-Building[1]”.
Within an eye’s blink, our exchange sprang to life and
more quickly than I had expected. This shouldn’t have surprised me for it
wasn’t as if I was new to the topic. I had been Body-Building for many
years and the mere mention of it brought much excitement to our talk. He
appeared to be well versed in the subject and our dialogue continued at length.
Unbeknownst to me at that time, my talk-partner had also
been a Body-Builder[3] for quite a while.
When I found this out, I was a bit shocked. Eyeing him up and down, he
did not show any of the traditional signs of a man involved in such practice.
As someone who was personally involved in this Work, the outward signs of his
Body-Building efforts were not obvious to me, even though he sounded like he
knew an awful lot about it.
As our chat unfolded, my initial observations went
unheeded. His enthusiasm for Body-Building overwhelmed me.
Furthermore, his excitement in my interest was only overshadowed by what he
earnestly believed he needed to share about his Body-Building love interest.
His energy directed much of our conversation in those moments.
He told me that he held Body-Building to such high
esteem that he wore an odd-looking “B” shaped nose-ring denoting how far he had
progressed in his devotion to this concern. This revelation alone
explained well why he wore it so proudly. He claimed that there was so
much involved in Body-Building that other interested devotees, people he knew
personally, had created multitudes of affiliated Body-Building clubs and groups
whose sole purpose was to promote Body-Building. It was no surprise to me
that I soon learned that he was a member of all of them!'
As I listened to him, I was dazzled by the shear
magnitude of Body-Building’s systemic expansion. I had no idea of its shear
magnitude. That expansion was quite telling. And he gleefully hinted that
these other affiliate organizations could be joined also, but only after I
joined the first.
Applying
I was intrigued by all his information. Having
been both interested and actively engaged in Body-Building for some time,
albeit on my own terms and with my own equipment, I was startled by the
possibility of further Building with others. I asked him how I could
possibly join in on all this fun. He quickly pulled out of his back
pocket a signed membership application to one of the many local Gymnasiums[2].
This specific application was to the one that he
belonged to only a few miles down the road from my home. He conveyed to
me with a smile and a wink that it is best to belong to a Gym[4] where you knew members locally. He
added quickly that it was a common belief held as a truism by the membership
that new members fared much better in their Body-Building efforts when those
they surrounded themselves with were familiar to them.
Well, I must say that his enthusiasm for his Gym swept
me away. Within a very short time, I witnessed my intrigue driving
thoughts and actions toward joining. I reviewed the application with
great scrutiny. I talked it over with my wife, several times in fact.
I kept circling back to two questions that seemed to be truly unrelated to what
I perceived to be Body-Building.
The first question left me confused. It focused
upon what I believed. I couldn’t see the relevance of what I believed in
relation to Body-Building. It simply didn’t make much sense to me to ask
such a question considering the focus of the Work that I desired to do. I
tried rationalizing it. I tried looking at it from a spiritual side.
I even tried looking at it from the viewpoint of other Body-Builders having to
Work out beside me. After much thought I concluded that it was a harmless
question overall and that sharing what I believed shouldn’t affect my
progression in any way.
The other question left me giggling. It had to do
with any thoughts that I might have about overthrowing the government. I
could not help but laugh as I imagined myself dressed up “Rambo-style”
accompanied by a group of middle-aged weekend Body-Builders showing up for work
at city hall. I guess there might be some who take Body-Building in that
direction but I didn’t see myself doing so. I couldn’t foresee this
question being problematic in any way.
The rest of the questions seemed routine for
applications of this type. There were requests for general family
information, background, dates and such. Nothing asked that seemed
too prying.
Fully satisfied that I had examined it carefully, I
finally filled out that application and submitted it to the intake person at
the Gym. The deed was done. The die was cast. I was on my way
toward membership.
Clock Watching
Then, I waited... quite a rather lengthy time too.
Finally, a Gym member contacted me. It seemed he wanted to “interview” me
to see if I was a good fit for the Gym. I thought this very odd since my
interest was in Body-Building and I truly thought that the Gym would be
grateful for another interested member. Nevertheless, I consented to the
“interview” and set up a time for some members to come over and “talk”.
I found out also that such interviews typically took
place away from the Gym and usually at the prospect’s home. They even
wanted my spouse to be present so that she would know more about my involvement
at the Gym. I thought this unusual since it was me who would be Working
out at the Gym and not her. When I asked about this, I was told that a
good reason for this would be provided at the interview.
It was just about two months later when my interview day
arrived. I was so excited that I couldn’t sit still. The carry over from
my previous conversation two months earlier still echoed in my mind. My
wife was less excited. She already knew the Body-Building I had done in
the past would make me a natural for any Gym. Her manner that day, and for that
whole two months leading up to it, was cool, subdued and collected.
My manner was another matter. I’d heard of these
Gyms before. I knew that their criteria for membership was high.
Although my interest and experience in Body-Building was above the norm, I
couldn’t help but think that I might not measure up to their standards.
In short, my anxiety was so tight that it nearly caused
my ears to ring!
With all this occurring for me, I still managed to last
long enough to hear the knock at my door. I walked over to it, took a
deep breath saying to myself, “Show time!” and opened the door.
-------------------------
Author’s Note: This story is
fictitious. Any reality to resemblance might hint greatly that you have
Mastered the lines of reading between the art.
F&S,
Brother John S. Nagy
[1] pursuing betterment
[2] Lodges
[3] betterment pursuers
[4] Lodge
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