Happy fall. I just had a friend visit from Seattle, and as we were prepping about the weather while he was in town, I told him, "well, it could be 70 or it could snow. Better plan for both.” It was a close predication. 70s on the first couple of days he was here, and he flew home in the 40s.
I’d like to share about our Fitness Associate, Ralph. If you come in the early mornings, what I say in this blog post is going to be nothing new to you. If you come after 8 AM, I’d encourage you to adjust your workout schedule and feel the Ralph “Love.”
Ralph, who retired from his day job a number of years ago, has provided great service at the Fercho branch most mornings up until COVID-19 hit us. If you were to come in during the morning hours when Ralph was present, you would be greeted by a warm smile and most likely a handshake (yes, if you are comfortable, we are still doing those) that is firm and impactful. He knows your name and uses it often, knowing that the most important thing to most people is their own name. He wanders the Fitness Center and cleans, but while he does that he is in conversations with anyone who is needing that “Ralph Touch.” I wander down there some mornings just to have five minutes with him to feel better about my day.
When we celebrated his 20th anniversary with the YMCA, (I mentioned earlier that he retired right?), we made a cutout of Ralph to help with the celebrations. There were speeches (OK, Ralph talked!), doughnuts (everyone worked them off afterwards!), and generally a good time. What a fun day.
And then COVID hit.
Ralph wasn’t allowed to work for us under the advice of his doctor. We didn’t think Ralph would return to us. I mean, he had already put in a lifetime of work. He had earned a break. We were going to miss him.
We did decide to leave the cutout of Ralph behind the Fitness Center Desk. While we were closed, I would walk quietly on the track trying to gather my thoughts for the next set of decisions we had to make. There was the cutout smiling at me. Ralph’s presence was real. When we reopened, the cutout was there and people would ask how Ralph was doing. We would fill them in. Once we were really off and running, the cutout remained and people wished for Ralph’s return. We assured them but didn’t think that would happen.
Then, happy days! Ralph returned! It feels like home down there again. And, the cutout remains.
Remember the friend that I had in town? Last Monday, I was showing him the Y (he works for another Y in the country) and we were walking up to the Fitness Center. As we were about to enter the workout area, I watched someone leaving and they walked up to the cutout and high fived it. I turned to my friend and asked if he had seen that. No. Wait until you meet Ralph, you will understand. Sure enough, Ralph was not near the door and talking to other members in the Fitness Center. Introductions were given and the conversation commenced. It was fun to watch, except for the general comments about my hair line.
Why is all of this important? That person who left the Fitness Center needed the “Ralph Touch” before they headed out for the rest of their day. It wasn’t exactly what they wanted, the personal touch of the man they love. The cutout had to be a stand in. But it was still real. It still mattered. And I’m guessing that person left uplifted.
And that is why I love working for this organization and why COVID has been so hard on us. This is about people coming together. It is about communion with each other. It is about connection. And, yes, it is about living a healthy lifestyle as well, but I think those other things are just as important. You can get all of this at your Y. The name of the staff person might be different, but it happens daily at your Y.
High Fives All Around! See you at the Y!
Steve Smith
President