Confessions of a Serial Flee-er

Today on Jezebel, Sadie shared a story about having an incident when visiting a new gym. In her words, a middle school incident. Fleeing in panic and anxiety when faced with an unfamiliar environment, full of people who knew what they were doing, knew the rules and who looked the part of the snotty sorority gym bitch.

Funny, while most, if not all, of the commenters commiserated with her experience, and shared their own gym horror stories, I saw the situation being less a story of “uncomfortable gym experience” as “something only shy people do.”

How can I say this? Well, I’m a very experienced flee-er. I can’t say this for certain, but I believe flee-ers are usually shy people, who have an intense desire to “follow rules” and extreme anxiety when faced with not knowing what to do.

I fled from a doctors office, because they’ve told me to go to such-and-such room, and all the rooms look the same, and I kept going in the wrong room, and it all just became completely overwhelming and scary. What was I doing wrong? How come I can’t find this room? Etc. So I left without seeing the doctor, and paid the bill that was sent three weeks later, wrinkling my nose in shame.

I’ve fled from stores, where I’ve wanted to buy something. No salesperson was around, or the process to buy something wasn’t clearly defined.

I fled from Fuddrucker’s once, because I didn’t understand how the system to order food worked.

I’m sure that I have fled from a group fitness class before. I tend to be less panicky at gyms, because I have been going so long and I know people aren’t as judgmental as other people may think.

I’d love to hear more flee-er stories, because it makes me feel less alone, and less of a freak.