Saturday, October 6, 2012

I Have Never Been Politically Correct

Anyone bringing up a Penn State Locker Room nowadays has to be either crazy or non-caring about political correctness.  To those around the world that think any of us PSU Track Alumni has anything to do with child abuse, I say "you're the one with the problem, not us."  

My Treadmill Room is finally nearing what I originally envisioned, somewhat reminiscent of our 1977 XC Locker Room.  It isn't a big room, it isn't a state-of-the-art room, but it is a really good oasis from the rough and tumble world that is 10 times more complicated than I ever thought it would be.  I use this room nearly every day; it is rare that I ever venture out for a run or travel for a run anymore.  The room is just big enough to house my professional grade treadmill (best investment I ever made!) and my cheap elliptical machine I utilize to supplement my jogging without incurring too much stress on my surgically scarred knees.  The floor is unadorned cement and the lighting is stark bare fluorescent.  I have a small flat-screen TV in there to provide an adequate distraction. An efficient PSU working-man type of room.  Three yards and a cloud of dust...

As a curmudgeon of the highest order (if they had a certification process I would qualify as a Leader!) I usually curse and moan at the site of a yard sale.  But this AM I saw the set of 5 lockers of steel-gray shining in the sun, and I had to stop.  I paid $100 for the set, even though I could only fit 2 of them in the space I had visualized them in.  Thanks to my wife's handiwork and sweat-equity, we successfully separated them without damage and they are now housed in my Treadmill Room!  These are the same lockers we had in the old Rec Hall Cross-Country Locker Room, next to the Wrestling Locker Room which smelled much worse than ours. The All-Steel Equipment Co. of Aurora, Illinois provides just the right aesthetic touch and utility for my daily recreation.

In 1977, my personal locker was used by Jerome Whitehead during a game between the highly ranked Marquette team and the nowhere-near-ranked Nittany Lions.  The game was exciting because PSU was ahead at the half with York's Jeff Miller draining many long range shots;.  If there was a 3 pt. line back then we would have prevailed.  After the game I went to my locker  to discover Jerome and his entourage AND my personal effects in a puddle in the corner of the room.  

 Jerome will never get anywhere near this locker, that's for sure.


6 comments:

  1. Jeff Miller was a great shooter. He was in one of my freshman English classes, and I can say without doubt he was the hardest working student I ever taught.
    Don't keep wet towels in your new lockers overnight.

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  2. Schweeet!
    Are you talking about the small room with the window to outside?
    What happened to your lock?
    What are you going to do with the other three lockers?
    KKOB

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  3. I have never used a lock on my locker since 11th grade. I have never had anything bad happen because of it, either Although now that I am announcing that, I may have to reconsider!

    In my senior year in high school, I put all of my books into my locker on day 1 and never opened it again. I suppose they may still be there now. (And at Dover, PA, there certainly wasn't an evolution book!)

    The other 3 are in my garage. $50 to anyone who wants them.

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  4. And yes, that little room with the window is the one I'm talking about. One bench down the middle. I'm scouring the internet for a similar bench as I write this.

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  5. That bench is probably highly varnished with tushy sweat and who knows what else.
    Hmmm $50.
    Oh, wait...you'll give ME $50 to take away?
    KKOB

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  6. $50 is my price. You could probably negotiate with Barb for a better price! (And its the "what else" that would worry me!)

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