One of those calls

While attending a short seminar earlier this month, I heard an assistant principle at a local school district explain to those in attendance that he instructs his staff to treat each phone call that is considered a "complaint" to be an opportunity for his organization to get better.

We receive some of those calls at InterServ, but the call that the Southside Youth Program received last week was disguised as something much different.

Dennis Snethen, the Director of the SSY and head coach of the Wesley Weightlifters, fielded that call after three of our lifters were pictured in the St. Joseph News-Press. The three ladies were pictured as part of the News-Press' SportsZone section, a section that focuses on youth and children sports and appears every Monday.

The person who called Dennis after seeing the pictures started the conversation with - "Are you the one who runs the weightlifting program?" Immediately, Dennis thought the worst. The caller referenced the News-Press photos and followed up with - "How come that little girl does not have a uniform?"

You see, one of the three girls pictured in the News-Press wasn't dressed in a weightlifting singlet while the other two were, thus triggering a reaction from the caller that, at first thought, might seem as a complaint or a phone call that might not be well received.

Not so.

"I want to donate some money to buy that girl a uniform," the caller said humbly.

After a short explanation by Dennis to the caller that the girl without the uniform owns more than one, but doesn’t like to wear them, and that particular weightlifting meet did not require lifters to wear singlets, so she decided not to, the phone call turned out to be a blessing, not a complaint.

You see, even though nothing physically or structurally changed on either end of the phone, the blessing is that there are people out there who are willing to pick up the phone for the betterment of their fellow person.

After taking the call, Dennis felt better the rest of the day. And after hearing his story, so did I.