Today, I wanted to go for a nice swim in a heated pool. I had dreamed about this for the whole week. On my way, I had however, to pass through two security posts. At the first post, they took a long look at me and my white hair, and probably told themselves that I did not represent any threat to anybody. They just let me go through with a charming «Karibu, mama»!
The second post was much more tricky. I had to register my name in a book for to enter the gym area.Since I was to join my friends who were already there, I told him to look up their names in the register. Their names were not there. (My friends told me later that they never register in the book since they are members of the club).
In an attempt to convince the guards to let me in, I told them that I used to work for the organisation that runs the place, for 20 years, and that I was a friend of my friends whom expected me to meet them inside.
No way! They refused. Since I do not yet have an ID card for Retirees for the organisation, and » only an ordinary Norwegian passport», as the female guard, said, I was held hostage at the gate for 15 minutes. No blame on the guards, who certainly did their jobs, but who showed no interest in helping me in even finding my friends names on the register.They only looked at me with a nasty smile while I was desperately trying to phone my friends to ask them to come and fetch me, of course without success.
Finally, there was a change of guards, and while the female guard told the incoming one that he should not let me in,because I only had an ordinary Norwegian passport, the new guard told me that he felt embarrassed to keep me hostage like that, asked me to sign into the book, and enter the gym!
Well inside the building, I had to register and pay. I knew I was late due to the incidence, and asked the lady at the counter of she had seen my friends? «Yes», she said, «they just left!!»
I paid, took the key and entered the changing room. There I sat down, having lost all that remained of energy for the long day. After resting and collecting myself for some minutes, I called my friends to tell them where I was, and that I had missed them by a few minutes! I had lost my commitment to swimming despite the beautiful pool waiting for me. I pulled my things together and went back to the main counter with he closet keys. I told the lady there that I was not going for any kind of gym any longer, I was simply too tired.
«Pole sana», she said, «no problem, do you still have the receipt I gave you»? I had. She took it, wrote something quickly on it, and gave me credit for an hour of training with a smile and wish for a nice evening.She made my day !
I will now go back for a nice energizing swim tomorrow or Sunday!
Halve Verden 
Reblogged this on Kvinnehjørnet / Women´s Corner.