Snap Fitness spokane | Don't Blink

The thing about working out at a 24-hour gym during the 3 a.m. – 5 a.m. span is that it’s pretty peaceful. Although I have walked in to find homeless individuals seeking warmth from the cold, most of the time I am either the first one to arrive or I might be joining 1-2 other early morning regulars. As my workout goes on, a few more people circulate in.

Today something out of the ordinary happened.

When I walked in there was someone I had never seen before. On the treadmill was an older gentleman trying to get in some early morning cardio. Although I did take notice of the new individual, I simply walked past him and went over to the dumbbells to begin my workout. About five minutes later, the guy stopped the treadmill and exited the gym.

This picture of the Snap Fitness (Ponderosa Village) that I exercise at gives you an idea of where the gentleman was at and where I was at. He was on one of the middle treadmills while I was at the dumbbell station in front of the mirror.

I knew the guy left because I could see him exit out of my periphery and I heard the door shut. As I continued to work with the weights, I noticed no headlights flashed or engine turned after the man had left (I usually subconsciously take notes of gym-goers pulling out in their vehicles upon exit).

Well, two minutes after his initial departure, I knew why I didn’t register any evidence of him leaving the parking lot.

The unmistakable click of the entrance door opening upon an access card tap forced my periphery back to the front of the gym. The guy was walking back in.

Still keeping tabs on the figure walking slowly toward me from the corner of my eye, I ended up turning to face him once he got about 10 feet from me.

I waited for him to talk.

Nervous and jumbled, he asked me the following question: Are you feeling strong negative emotional thoughts?

I was caught off guard for a moment. The question from the bald, bespectacled man was seemingly out of left field. In the heat of the moment, I determined that he was asking me if I was prone to self-harm.

Maybe just five seconds after he asked the question, I gave him an answer:

“No. Because of my faith in Jesus Christ I have been protected from that.”

Although my response probably wasn’t eloquent, it was firm and I felt totally confident saying it. The man seemed a little take aback as he registered what I said. After about 10 seconds he said, “Oh, okay, good.”

I did follow with why he asked me that question. He said something along the lines of “I just felt like I needed to come ask you.” He then turned around and walked away.

As he left, I said the following words with complete sincerity to him:

“Thanks for asking.”

I am still a little puzzled and uneased about why he asked me such a seemingly strange question. It is true, I carry an all-business type demeanor at the gym, so perhaps my focus was translated as a cry for help? Or maybe he was trying to evangelize to me and was looking for an opening. I am at a loss.

My plan is to speak with him again if we have a re-encounter. Perhaps I should just leave it be but maybe his question about my mental state was really a referendum on his own mental state. Or perhaps he is just a genuine guy who cares about others. In that case, I should probably be his friend.

As I did when I took my turn on the treadmill later that morning and as I will do again tonight, I will be praying for him. Don’t Blink.

After skipping to Myrtle Beach for Thanksgiving last year, we celebrated back in Spokane this year. As always, we enjoyed a special and warm holiday.

Our family during Thanksgiving 2024.

I started my Thanksgiving with an early morning workout at Snap Fitness. I always joke that I need the exercise so I can burn 200 calories only to consume 20,000 calories hours later. I guess other people recognized my absurdity because I had the whole gym to myself.

A photo I took of an empty Snap Fitness gym on an early Thanksgiving morning.

After the conclusion of my workout, I hustled home and cued up the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Sure, we could have watched the tape-delayed NBC broadcast when it came on at 8:30 a.m. PT on the west coast, but we are a little obsessive. Sid, Sloan, Beau, and I jammed in our bed as we streamed the parade live on Peacock right when it started at 5:30 a.m.

Beau holds his stuffed Spider-Man as the actual Macy’s Parade Spider-Man float goes by.

Our next Thanksgiving activity took place at the movie theater. My family met my sister’s family at the Spokane Valley Regal Cinemas for the 11:15 a.m. showing of “Moana 2.” Even though my kids love the film and Sloan even dressed up as Moana for Halloween one year, I had never seen the original movie until last night. Yep, I made sure to do my last-minute homework by watching “Moana” on Wednesday evening. The cram session prepared me well as I was able to enjoy “Moana 2” just as much as everyone else in the packed theater.

Four happy kids after watching “Moana 2.”

From the theater we drove out to my parents’ house in north Spokane. My dad and I watched some of the Cowboys-Giants game and then my sister’s family, my family, and parents enjoyed each other’s company for the duration of the afternoon/evening. Our Thanksgiving meal was delicious as I eclipsed the 200 calories I burned from earlier after my second bite.

Eating Thanksgiving dinner. Delicious!

Once we finished eating, we all moved into the living room where we spent the rest of the night talking and eating dessert. My parents have a single TV in the house that is exiled in the basement, so our family holidays are always centered around conversation which I wouldn’t have any other way. My choice of dessert was pumpkin pie!

Sloan, Beau, and their cousins doing Thanksgiving crafts while the adults visit.

We left my parents’ at 8 p.m. and then before making the 34-minute drive home, we drove by the infamous “Disney holiday house.” It is even better this year than ever before. We made it home around 9 p.m. and went to bed feeling really thankful.