Don’t Take My Picture?
Written by: Coach Slater
To those few, anonymous people out there in the gym… I know you don’t want your picture taken. I know. I really do. I don’t know why, and I don’t need to know why, but I’d like to tell you my perspective instead.
I wish you could see how impressive you look when you’re working out. I wish you’d appreciate that no one looks like their best “Senior Year” photo while working out. What I see is someone who’s busting their butt to better themselves. I merely want to show the rest of your family, work community, and non-Derby City friends how awesome you are and the cool shit you do on the reg.
I wish you trusted that I won’t post a supremely poor photo of you. I won’t use your photo if you look like a real asshole. If I accidentally capture you looking “unathletic”, I delete it. Eyes closed? Gone. 16 chins? Trash. Otherwise, I’m posting who you are. If you don’t like who you are in the photo, then you have a different demon you need to battle. Not the camera. Because what I see in that picture is someone who is inspiring. I’m just trying to share your amazing efforts with the community.
Maybe, like Coach Kelsi said, you’re too self-critical, so all you see are the negatives. Well, all I see when I post your picture is someone who is to be admired. End of story. I wouldn’t post your picture if I thought you looked like a piece of shit. I may be a dickhead sometimes, but let’s at least assume that I have enough human decency to not do that.
I’ll continue to skip you when I’ve got the camera out, but I want you to know that you look great out there on the gym floor. Busting your butt, sweating, pushing your limits, getting uncomfortable. If you can’t be proud of yourself, allow the camera to be proud for you. I’m proud of you. I know your classmates are proud of you. And, I guarantee your family and friends are proud of you, too.