Locker Room Woes
We need more privacy.
"Splish splash, I was takin' a bath, long about a Saturday night. Yeah, rub-a-dub, just relaxin' in the tub, thinkin' everything was alright." - Bobby Darin
You know what I've always found super awkward about sports venues, gyms, and swimming pools? The locker room situation. You go in there and it's like a nudist colony. People walking around butt naked. Discarded socks and underwear strewn about the benches. Wet floors. In some cases, the foul stench of body odour. No soap or shampoo. No stalls to change your clothes or curtains in the showers. There's no privacy whatsoever, and I'm constantly diverting my eyes.
I admire and applaud people who are totally comfortable in their own skin and have no issues undressing and bathing in front of others. There's true power in body positivity and the human form is a work of art, as proven by all the statues and paintings dating back millennia. Nudity doesn't have to be sexual, and it's great that people can relax in a locker room, sauna, or hot tub, enjoying casual conversations while in the buff. That's not me, though.
I'm extremely uncomfortable getting naked in locker rooms and showering in front of other people. Changing discreetly takes forever in these environments, which is so annoying. At swimming pools, I wear my bathing suit under my clothes when entering and shower fully clothed. When exiting, I wait until there's no one around, face a wall, and change quickly. At the gym, I avoid the locker room entirely. In both situations, I always wait until I get home to shower, regardless of the unpleasant chlorine or sweat.
In closing, I wish the owners of such sports venues, gyms, and swimming pools would provide private changing and showering areas for those of us who don't want to have our birthday suits on full display. Regardless of the changing rooms being gender segregated, I want privacy. In public washrooms, there are always doors in front of toilets and walls between urinals. Why isn't this the case when changing and showering in public locker rooms? Just some food for thought. Until next time, love, peace, and chicken grease.