shanmonster | Gym and the Holograms

While biking home from a gym a while back, I saw a local sporting goods was having a sidewalk sale. I pulled over, and as I stood in line to purchase a pair of sandals, saw a bunch of small boxes. Curious, I picked one up. It contained a rubber bracelet. I figured it was one of those quacky magnetic bracelets, but this one was different. It had holograms.

"Holograms?" I sad, perhaps a tad derisively.

"Yeah," said the salesclerk. "All sorts of professional athletes are using them, from golfers to football players. Wanna see how they work?"

"Sure," I said. "Why not?"

And so he conducted his scientific experiment upon me. He had me stand with my hands behind my back, fingers interlaced. Then he pushed down and slightly back on my hands. I staggered back a step or two.

Then he had me hold the bracelet between my thumbs while my fingers were interlaced behind me. Then he pushed straight down on my hands. I didn't stagger.

"See?" he said.

"You pushed straight down that time," I said.

"I did both times."

"Uh, no."

"I'll do it again." And so he did. With no magical strength-imbuing hologram to hold me steady, he once again got me to stagger back a step or two with the slight back and down push. And with that rubber miracle between my thumbs, I was mystically able to keep my feet in place when he pushed straight down.

Amazing. I don't know how I had the strength to resist buying it.