men don't take the elevator

[keryx]

A woman at work last week guessed that the guys who got onto the elevator must be going to the fourth floor (our buildings generally don't have more than four floors). She said "men don't get on the elevator unless they're going all the way". I'm pretty sure she's wrong. Also, I sadly didn't pick up the unintentional innuendo until just now. That's awfully slow.

Then today I waved at someone as I got on the elevator and he went up the stairs (both headed to the third floor - I won). And I thought not about the gender assumption, but the idea that stair climbing is some sort of testament to one's Fitness. We commonly apologize to each other for taking elevators. It's this wacky Official Corporate America Wisdom: climbing the stairs will save your immortal soul... or at least your mortal cardiovascular system.

And I? Am rather ridiculously defensive about this in my head. I want a sign: I am taking the elevator because I danced for 3 hours last night. Did you dance all last night? STFU. Whether there's any actual indication of this or not, I suspect random people I don't know of believing that I - and all even remotely fat folk by extension - am lazy and Unfit because I don't take the stairs. And... I care. I want them to not think wrong, stupid things. Chances are, no one's thinking this in any direct, conscious, point-and-stare-at-me way. If they were doing anything so obvious, I'd probably notice, and you know if I noticed I'd have to call it out. I suspect them of thinking these things deep down, and I just know these thoughts are so far off base, know they (and I shouldn't care anyway), know how little you can actually extrapolate anything other than what a person is going to be doing in two minutes from what she's doing right now, know that what I do or don't do and how Fit any of us are matters in no way to anyone else (or at least it shouldn't).

I suspect the thing with the food list might work like this, too. If I want to eat nothing but vegan cookies for the next 30 days, I should be able to just do it and not have people tell me it's unhealthy or healthy or fit or unfit or any of the other intrusive crap we like to foist on each other. But rarely is that possible - people do police each others' food all too often. It masquerades as concern - hell, it is concern - but it's misplaced and confused.

In other news: I think I totally eat more than everyone who posts on incendiaryfood. Rock!
Of course, now I want to apologize for saying that eating the most rocks and explain that what I meant was to reference my disordered eating patterns, which have a lot more to do with failing to eat than overeating. If I'm on my own and still eating a lot, that's generally a good sign - it means I'm working hard and watching out for myself. STFU. *grin*

Comments

[arovd.livejournal.com]

i used to be snarky about people who took the elevator up to the second floor ("it's ONE flight, people come on how lazy can you get?"), thus impeding my rapid ascent to the 5th floor, a somehow worthyer destination for the elevator bound.

then i was in a car accident, and seriously damaged my left knee. i was in a knee brace, and couldn't take the stairs unless i wanted to hop up ont stair at a time.

BUT, the knee brace was under my skirt, and i wasn't visibly limping... so no one could tell. and i could see the other people in the elevator shooting me the same nasty looks i used to give, and i know the assumption was that i was lazy.

so now, i always try to remember (and corrrect folks if anyone comments) that there might be a reason for taking the elevator one floor. and? if the reason is that you're feeling lazy? so fucking be it.

[geniealisa.livejournal.com]

Re: food ... I get annoyed when people look at me I shouldn't have that cookie or Coke because I'm diabetic. They don't know I over-bolused and have a blood sugar of 60 and that Coke is going to disappear in about 3 seconds so I don't get all shaky.

It's just a common theme of people not thinking before they make judgements or "joking" remarks. But I'm determined not to justify what I eat to anyone.