I Forgot My Pants

Yes, the title is true.

I had this grand plan to have an intense cardio workout at the rec center before my four hour macroeconomics class today. First, it is currently in the mid-80s and humid and it is 11:01 PM. Needless to say, running a few miles around the city today did not appeal to me in the heat of the afternoon.

Today was the first day of the second summer session. I have an evening class that meets Mondays and Wednesdays from 6-9:50PM for the next six weeks. It was so hot and humid today, working out was something that needed done, but I was not about to run a few miles in this weather. I had a plan. I was going to go to the rec center---a fancy title for a closet with 2 treadmills, 4 ellipticals, and other various machines in smaller number---and I was going to run AND weight lift before class.

Look at me go. I was such an overachiever this morning.

After figuring out which bus came when by my apartment, I got downstairs in perfect timing to find my bus come just early enough for me to see it, but just late enough for me to miss it. Then, the next bus came late.

Perfect, right?

But, no big deal. Pluto was demoted from planet to moon. The universe has bigger problems. So, I sucked it up and stood in the heat in a black dress, waiting for a bus. Eventually, the bus I did not want to take to town came. At that point, I would take any bus for the sheer fact that a bus meant air conditioning.

It's about 15 minutes until 4:00PM at this point and the bus taking a roundabout route to Downtown could not possibly move any slower. By the time I got Downtown, rush hour was in full force and every single slow pedestrian and construction cone was positioned right in the middle of every sidewalk, on every block.

When I finally got to Lawrence Hall, I realized that summer made Downtown all the more inconvenient. The bookstore was closed already. I couldn't buy a single bus ticket. So, I go back up the street to the nearest PNC ATM and withdraw some cash to get a drink for my workout. I would later use the change to pay for my bus fare home after class.

Oh wait---The Point Cafe is closed too.

OK, whatever.

I will just suck up this workout and use the water fountain. There was no way I was going back up to Forbes Avenue for the second time since getting off the bus to go to CVS for a bottle of water. I'll go back after my workout and pick up a notebook for tonight's class.

I ran down three flights of stairs to the rec center, in the basement of Lawrence Hall. I found my student ID and struggled to swipe into the system. The old guy behind the desk had a crooked nose and his glasses were tilted because of it. He smiled at me.

I have been at Point Park University for four years. I have one more semester, and I still refuse to use the locker rooms in the rec center. I really don't know why I never have, but, for the sake of principle and tradition, I walked straight to the bathroom and wedged myself into the stall to get dressed. I took off my dress and replaced my sandals with my No Nonsense socks and Asics running shoes. I dug through my bag and pulled out my sports bra, my t-shirt, and my shorts. I grabbed the black shorts and started to pull them over one of my legs.

Oh, that's strange.

I looked down at my feet. My leg was through the arm hole of another one of my workout t-shirts.

Damnit.

My bag was completely empty. I brought a sports bra, sneakers, and 2 t-shirts to the gym.

I forgot my pants.

I wanted to just go home and start my day all over again. I was so embarrassed. I remembered a hair tie and even a bottle of toner for after my workout to freshen makeup, but I forgot my pants.

Who does that?

And it isn't like I didn't have all day to get my stuff together for class. I was not short on time at all today. It was just one of those dumb things I do. It was one of those not-so perfect things I do. It was just one of those not-so perfect things I do all the time.

You know, we all like to believe we are better than we really are, act better than we really act, and look better than we really look to other people. We also like to think we are always right---Or, at least I do. I am a fairly smart girl. I have my head on straight. I read the news and vote. I have many different friends and acquaintances, and I have experienced a lot of different things in my life.

I like to believe that I am a good person, and that whatever I do is on-point. I am a perfectionist, too. Can you tell? Well, I am a virgo; it comes with the stars. But, I would like to explore this concept of being not-so perfect. So, what better way to explore something than through my very own blog?

Now I have a blog.

I have started this blog today to introduce both you and myself to my life in an imperfect lens. I want to explore my own grasp on life as I already know it and look at it from a perspective that is not-so perfect. In this blog, I want to examine my life through my imperfect moments. I want to be okay with being imperfect---And, not just because it's the 'so perfect' thing to say. I hope to learn about myself and perhaps change my perspective on a few things. Maybe I won't change anything. Maybe I will change the world. But, either way, I'd like to welcome you to my not-so perfect world---to see me imperfectly, to see the world without seeing it, and to engage in a world without expectation of excellence.

Today, we are told to be the best we can be and to go 110 percent in anything we do. Let's try on 90 percent and see how it fits. Maybe we're missing something when we see everything at 110 percent. Maybe we need to step back and see the highlights of the day as the mistakes we make, the times we embarrass ourselves, or the minutes we wish we could start the day over again, instead of the usual suspects we typically label as highlights. Instead of telling you about how delicious my plate of pancakes from Pamela's Diner was one morning, I am going to tell you about all of the syrup I dribbled down my arm and gave myself a nice waxing to the arm when I tried to lift my hands off the table. Instead of telling you about what a great hair day I had, I am going to tell you about how I burned my forehead with my flat iron right before going to work.

Sound crazy? Maybe it is. But I like the idea so far. So let's just see what happens. I'd love your feedback throughout this journey. Typos are encouraged.