u/EntitledMoose

I had surgery on my hand just over a month ago on some ligaments and nerves. The reason being, I am a welder, and I didn’t realize where I had my hand on day, and my mig wire went straight through my glove, then through my hand. Causing a big mess of scarred tissue and burnt ligaments and nerves in my left hand.

Before this injury, I use to go to the gym, 3-4 times a week, and I was pretty strong in every left I did. My proudest lift being my 345lb incline bench. But obviously now that I’m recovering, I’m nowhere near there lol.

Anyway, to get to the main story, I was at the gym yesterday just trying out some lifts I could start doing again. I tried flat bench and was still very strong on it. I did about three sets with 275lbs for three reps. Still pretty good for being out of the gym awhile. But when I went to do a fourth set, I hit the bottom of the hooks on the rack where the barbells held. So in good fashion, I brace for the barbell to come back down. I had safely hooks to help me and everything though. I still lift safe. But out of nowhere, this guy helps me with the bar which I was thankful for. So I take my headphones off and say “Hey thanks man I really appreciate!” And I chuckle a little. He turns around and looks dead at me, with a real mean look, and says “never lift weight you can’t do without someone like me near to help”. In a really annoyed/angry voice, like I did something wrong. I stg I paused and looked at him for 10 seconds and said nothing. He then looked annoyed I didn’t seem to have a reaction, so he said “if you’re going to lift like that again, make sure I’m at the gym”. Basically repeating himself, but now saying that make sure it’s not just someone like him, no no, make sure it IS him. There was a lady next to me that had no idea what was going on from the look on her face, which made me more embarrassed than I was already. This guy just had a mini tantrum about helping me, when he didn’t really need to, but he did, so that’s why I thanked him right away. Then what I feel like was him also insulting me and calling me weak.

Now I’ve been pondering about it ever since. Not thinking that I should’ve beat the guy up for “making me look weak”. I don’t care about that. People fail lifts all the time. And I obviously am much weaker than I use to be because of surgery so I’m not going to be hard on myself. I just can’t understand why the guy would go out of his way to help me, then act like a complete
A-hole that I owe my life to. This is also my first time ever having an interaction like this at the gym. I’ve never had a bad one. So maybe I’m also a little thrown off after being out of the gym for a while, this being one of the first interactions I have.

I am 21 years old and decided that I am going to go to college this year and get my diploma.

I never went originally because I had a spinal and head injury that put me out of commission many months after I graduated high school. So when I was finally able to leave my house, I got a job right away. I then worked for the next 3 years and landed myself a job as a welder this past year. It is very good money, but I want to be able to work as a welder in a factory or as an industrial welder. So that is why I am going to get my diploma in Welding and fabrication.

Now my problem is that I can’t seem to get hired anywhere part time now. I’ve done labouring for construction, commercial painting, I was a server at a restaurant, built scoreboards, and now I do welding. But nobody wants to hire me. I’ve done very well in every interview I’ve ever had because I always got the job, so I’m just very confused with how I am being turned away right away with no chance.

I need all the advice I can get right now. If I don’t get a part time during the school year I am royally screwed lol.