I was at the gym taking a sit break before walking home and I noticed some guy I had never seen before asking for a band aid. It looked like he tore his skin lifting some heavy weight. He found a band aid but I knew it wouldn’t stay on if he was going to keep training. I told him to wash his hands first, then I’d help him put on the band aid and tape him up with my really good Hampton Adams athletic tape.
He did that and we taped him up. Afterward, he went back to the weight area and kept pumping iron. One of my friends asked why I did that for someone I didn’t even know. I said it’s for his safety. An open wound is vulnerable to infection, especially when touching gym equipment. I don’t know the guy, but if I can help him stay healthy, why not? Plus, it stops the spread of his blood on the equipment, which protects the rest of us as well.
Then my friend said, “But dude, you are touching another man and taping him up. That seems kind of weird. Aren’t you worried about what people might think?” Look, there’s nothing strange about a guy helping another guy out. I roll around on the floor in tights with other men during training, so I’m really not concerned about appearances. I’m just someone looking out for a fellow gym goer. Helping someone stay safe and healthy is the right thing to do, plain and simple.
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