No Bubble Does it Alone

I think I’ve written before about how I feel the buoyancy of community—as if it were a cloud of bubbles keeping me afloat in the water. I felt those bubbles in every text, card, gift, smile, and kind word when Sarah, my wife, was going through treatment for cancer, and I felt them even more clearly after she died. No individual bubble could do it alone; together, they kept me afloat.

Last Saturday, I saw those bubbles in action at the event for those affected by the fire at Robbins Lumber in May. All the people who came together to cook and serve food, park cars, play music, and sell raffle tickets—and everyone who showed up to donate to the cause—were little bubbles.

Providing buoyancy is what this community does. It’s what we try to do at the WCY. From the smile or greeting you receive as you walk into a class or the pool to the programs we offer and the events we host, we are trying to be a community bubbler—like one of those upside-down black lollipops in an aquarium that sends out a cascade of little spheres of air.

Since I’ve always been into the “grand gesture,” the idea that I can only be one bubble is a bit of a slap down. I want to be the arms that pick people up and carry them to safety! (I’m thinking about that story of the footprints along the beach. Yeah…embarrassing how big my ego can be!)  

In most cases, we need lots of little things to help rather than one big thing to go right. That is why I like the bubble metaphor. As much as I might want it to, my little bubble can’t keep things afloat by itself. I need a lot of other bubbles to help! We all do.

So…enough with the metaphors. Let’s get to some real things that are happening.

1. We said goodbye to Jonathan Susee, our Membership Director. We wish him well as he and his family head south to be closer to family.

2. We welcomed Lulu Al-Matrouk as our new Membership Director. We are grateful for her energy, compassion, and connection to this community.

3. After 25 years of discussion—or so I am told!—we installed a sign outside. Over the next few months, we will learn a lot about what to put up there…and what can actually be seen! We expect it to be a great way to update you, and anyone who passes by, on what is going on.

4. The WCY Board has begun a needs-assessment process to suss out what our community lacks, what it needs more of, and where it is looking for help. That work will inform our strategic planning process this fall and winter. As we take steps forward, I will share what we have learned and what we hope to do. This summer, we interviewed 15 community leaders and brought many more together for a forum to discuss and brainstorm.

5. Speaking of the Board, we welcomed three new adult Board members and two new youth members in June. Our new adult members are Dave D’Angelo, Maggie Rosch, and Reeva Wyman. Lucy Birocco and Opal Woodbury join them as youth members. Check out the Board page on our website for more information about them—and please note that it is a work in progress!

6. Camp! Summer camp has been so much fun! If you are around either of the next two Fridays, listen for the Y song at about 12:15. It will give you a boost!

7. Bluefish! For the first time since I arrived, our Bluefish team held summer practices. Fifteen hardy swimmers showed up Monday through Thursday to build endurance, work on technique, and have fun. They did all three!

8. I have been attending the Dynamic Definition class on Mondays. (I’ve made it five of the past seven weeks!) I can’t recommend it highly enough. In just that short time, I can feel a difference in my body when I do my other workouts.

9. Coming up on August 16, come join us and WCAP at “School-a-Palooza”.  We will be giving away backpacks and school supplies and will have a cool BMX show thanks to Viking Lumber. 

The hard thing about writing about specifics is that, like bubbles, there are thousands of them: the replacement of two pieces of cement siding; the boy in Camp Curiosity whose face lit up when he high-fived me; the donor who included a kind note with a check; and on and on. I wish I could include them all.

But if you are reading this, please know that you are one of the bubbles in this community—and that you have a lot of bubbles keeping you afloat. I hope you take some time to feel both things.

Happy August! Thank you for being part of the WCY.