SRSC elliptical stress

I do too much. With a part-time job at the Indiana Daily Student, sorority functions, an internship at a TV station, five classes and trying to start up a new journalism organization on campus, I have a hard time finding time to relieve the stress that my life brings. And not only do all of these things stress me out, I'm a stressball. So to keep my sanity, I require just one hour a day to unwind and de-stress.\nSo first thing in the morning, my best friend Tara and I walk into the Student Recreational Sports Center ready to loosen up and begin the day on a good note.\nI workout on an elliptical machine, and for those of you who aren't familiar with the SRSC, you have to sign up for half-hour blocks of time to use these machines that are, apparently, in oh-so-high-demand. And let me tell you, sometimes I leave more stressed out than when I walk in the door.\nFor example, let me tell you what happened yesterday. It was 9:28 -- two minutes before my time was up on my machine. I had reached 29 minutes and 34 seconds when a girl approached me and asked me if I was almost done.\n"Are you just about done?" she said.\n"Yep," I said, so pleased with how polite she had asked me, "I have 26 seconds left."\nShe smiled back at me and said, "Okay, take your time and finish up. Whenever you're done is fine."\nAnd with those couple of words we exchanged, my day had been made. No nasty remarks to get off my machine. No exaggerated sigh loud enough for me to hear through the music on my MP3 player. No roll of the eyes in disgust. Just a little patience and a smile.\nMeanwhile, next to me my best friend had quite a different experience. \nLet me paint you a little picture.\nSo Tara is workin' it during the last couple of minutes of her workout. And with two minutes left, Ms. X struts her stuff up to my friend in her little pink shorts and says (with more attitude than I can imitate), "This is MY machine ... I have it at 9:30."\nAnd if this wasn't rude enough, she assumes this position in front of Tara, hands on her hips, and just stares at her until she gets off the elliptical. And let me remind you ... it's only 9:28.\nSo Tara and I walk out of the gym in silence. Our days are ruined by one person's rude, selfish attitude. And then we both blew up.\nAfter 20 minutes of the two of us yelling at no one in particular, we decided that it comes down to this: Everyone pays for a membership at the SRSC. Everyone is entitled to use whatever equipment they want within the specified time frame. Granted, the sign-up process sucks, but there's not one person on this campus who deserves to walk all over the rest of us to get a couple of extra minutes in their workout.\nLet's get serious, if you miss out on those two extra minutes you steal from other people working out and can't burn those extra 50 calories, don't eat that chocolate chip cookie for dessert. You probably don't need it anyway.\nSo, to the girl with manners who made my morning: Thank you. I wish there were more people like you in this world. It would be a better place.\nAnd to the girl in the pink shorts with that nasty attitude: Get over yourself. Stop walking all over the other people who use the SRSC. And if I'm admitted to the hospital at the age of 20 for stress, it's your fault.