the locker room floor
i was being a really good person the other day, and i was working out. yes, working out means you’re a good person. there’s a whole list i have of what it takes for everyone to think you’re a good person and working out is one of them. but that’s a different story for a different day. so, i’m at the local ymca swimming with my sister, being a good person, when the day campers come in. now, they annoy the crap out of me when i’m swimming because they don’t understand that the entire half of the pool that they have is for them, and my one tiny lane that i’m sharing with people already is not. but i also really like kids, so usually i just remind them to slide over before they get kicked in the face.
on this particular day however, they weren’t in my lane at all. in fact, my sister and i were the only two in the lane and we had an awesome swim. i was pretty proud of myself for keeping up with my sister, who is still on the high school swim team, and i was just content in general. then we got into the locker room.
the camp kids had also gotten out of the pool and had been in the locker room for a little bit when we came in, and i noticed our locker was ajar. never a good sign. all the little girls that had been loitering around the locker area had fled the scene and i knew something was not right. i opened the locker all the way and immediately noticed, my necklace was gone. after searching everything and asking the camp counselors i sat down, feeling defeated by those little 8 to 12 year olds as my eyes welled up with tears.
now, the necklace probably cost me $15 plus shipping. it wasn’t expensive or nice really. but, it was my lavaliere. which, for those of you who don’t know sorority/fraternity lingo, means it was the letters of my sorority. those ornery little kids probably don’t even know what a sorority is, let alone how to read the greek alphabet… so really, i guess the necklace probably will mean as much to them as the $15 does to me, which is pretty insignificant.
but it was the sentimental value that mattered to me. and that is so cheesy to talk about, i know. as i sat there, still in my towel, on the dirty locker room floor, i was acting no more mature than those day campers as i blinked back tears. my little sister did the awkward half laugh where she wanted to be concerned but she was also trying to hold back giggles at my petty actions over a simple piece of jewelry. in the moment, it was not funny to me. but you know what? it is now. who sits on the floor and cries at my age anyway? haha. of course, i still wish i had it, but that’s the funny thing about sentimental value. the important parts are the memories that it represents. so, i suppose i should be glad that i got to add one more laugh to my lavaliere, even after it was gone. and i also suppose i should invest in a padlock for my locker…
xoxo- beth ann
