Most Common Phrase: "I used to...."

I have been involved in sports and fitness all of my life and I'm a listener by nature. So it occurred to me that over the years, one phrase that is constantly used in the gym is "I used to." It's amazing how many of us look back and say that phrase when explaining ourselves to someone. Here are some that I logged because they were so darn funny:

• "I used to be on the Canadian Olympic Archery Team" - this person was from NY
• "I used to own gyms back in California" - that was a lie
• "I used to be a competitive bodybuilder in FL" - doubt it
  
• "I used to model" - if you saw what I saw, I'm not sure what kind of model they were referring to?
  
• "I used to play in the NFL" - lie
  
• "I used to be in the FBI" - probably a lie
  
• "I used to be a star baseball player but I tore my knee up and it cut my career short with the Yankees" - lie
  
• "I used to be an Olympic decathlete but only three get to go to the Olympics and I was number 4" - probably a lie
• "I used to be a world class sprinter. I beat Darrell Green (4-Time NFL's Fastest Man) in a charity race in D.C." - sure you did
  
• "I used to be the Choreographer for the Olympic opening ceremony" - lie
• "I used to be...a Navy Seal, Army Ranger, chef, taught Major Leaguer catchers how to catch, bodybuilder, firefighter, and radio d.j." - one person who did all this by age 26 - right!

There are plenty of these types of exchanges I have had where the truth was told. But it's amazing how people feel the need to embellish their past. I actually enjoy playing along with some of them. Keep them coming...it makes for good entertainment! I guess we all are guilty of looking back at the glory days (either real or make-believe).
Chris Scully