Mother-Son Gym Date?

This is a real conversation that took place a few nights ago:

Nate:  Can I go to the gym?

Me:  Sure.  Can I go with you?  (I was all ready to go anyway, and had been trying to convince someone to go with me.)

Nate said nothing.  He didn't have to.  The complete silence and traumatized look of horror on his face said it all.

Me:  But you could show me how to do weights.  (What 17 year old son wouldn't want to be in public with their mother demonstrating weight lifting, right?)

Nate, after another moment of stunned silence:  Uh...  I think I just want to go to the gym.

Me:  Ok.  I'll go with you, but I won't hang out with  you.  I won't even say anything to you.

Nate was back to silence again.

Me:  I'll go with you and wait in the car for 5 minutes before I go in.

Nate:  Uh...  I just want to go by myself.

Me:  So can I go in a separate car?

Nate was moving closer to the door, hoping just to escape.

Me:  So I can't even go to the gym?  (Wait...  Was I asking my son if I had permission to go to the gym?  Hadn't this conversation started out the other way around?)

I ended up going to a beautiful walking trail instead.  I guess Nate and I have different ideas of mother-son bonding time.  This story will one day be known as:  Lessons in teen mother-son bonding 101.