Amy’s Fireflies….

It all began 9 years ago,.. in 2006.

The YMCA in Kingston, New York.

The management decided to purchase an entire room full of indoor bikes. Some call them “spin bikes”…

They got a few instructors to be certified in teaching.. and then ..  they put together a schedule filled with different class days and times.

I started to take these indoor cycle classes about 2 months after the classes were initially introduced.

This indoor cycling quickly became a huge hit amongst the Y community.

The best days and times for me to attend these classes were Tuesday and Thursday mornings. 6:00 am….

The 2 main instructors at the time were Jen and Amy.

After a few months, Jen had moved out of town…..so it was all Amy…

Amy instructed on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.

I was pretty consistent with showing up on these particular days and times.

So were all the others…

Always the same group of people…

Eventually, the class started being filled up.

All 27 bikes were taken and those who arrived too late, were out of luck.

The Tuesday and Thursday morning cyclists were all starting to become friends.

Everyone (including me..)started arriving an  HOUR or more  before class was to begin…

We all started doing this for 2 reasons..

1. To claim a bike.. and

2. To socialize with the other people who are also there claiming a bike.

Eventually, the class became so popular that there was a sign in sheet. It was the best way to keep track of whether the class was full and helped cut down on a few problems … That sign in sheet added more pressure to get there early….

Speaking of early…. Our group of people had a great relationship with the man in charge of unlocking the YMCA doors each morning . He opened those doors as early as 4:45 in the morning  just for us. He was a maintenance employee. He was so kind to our group. He showed up to work early every day and unlocked the building so that we didn’t have to wait outside. He did this out of kindness of his own heart and also out of his own pocket. … He would even set up chairs for us in the lobby each morning so we had a place to sit…He clocked in to work after he did all that.

And speaking MORE about being early….The start time of this class eventually backed up to 5:30 am in order  to accommodate many group members who needed to be finished on time to get ready for their jobs and to be able to not be late for work.

Because it was so early, it was still dark outside during these classes.

It was so fun because we never turned on the lights in the cycle room (still true today) and the only lights shining are a string of white Christmas lights that line the top of the walls along the room.

So, there was this one day in particular.. many of the cyclists just so happened to wear bright yellow and orange t shirts.

Since it was so dark outside and dark inside the cycle room, the instructor, Amy, told us that we all looked like a bunch of Fireflies scattered through the room.

Suddenly that name stuck… We all became “AMY’s FIREFLIES”

As time went on.. many members found their favorite spot and bike in the room. Most of us had a staple bike that we liked best and always ventured to that bike. Suddenly, those who were seated to the left and right of those bikes became the closest of friends and jokesters.

As time went on… the friendship bonds got stronger.. and then… next thing you know… There’s a party invite to a group member’s house.

Then, next thing you know, every 2 or 3 months after that there was a party at a different group member’s house…

Most members, who enjoy hosting parties, took turns and put on some great parties with food and drinks and games and laughter…We got to meet each other’s spouses and each other’s family members…We got to see all their great decorations in their homes and taste everyone’s favorite recipes…

This one time, one of the Fireflies invited everyone to his house for what seemed to be a backyard picnic/barbeque…. All of the group who showed up to his house that day was in for a lovely surprise… Not only was it a backyard barbeque, this particular Firefly member had a beautiful backyard with an exquisite setting… including a waterfall… … And he was so sweet as to plan out a special wedding vow renewal ceremony with his  beautiful wife.. Everyone felt so honored to be there.

The parties and gatherings still happen to this day… The most recent gathering took place at a local restaurant / bar in town just last month.

Over the years we have all put in orders for our official “Amy’s Fireflies” gear…. Firefly T-shirts,  Firefly moisture-wick shirts, Firefly hoodies, and Firefly tank tops. We literally have our own line of clothing….with our own logo.

On 2 different occasions, at Christmas, we all received personalized embroidered towels ….to hang on our bikes,… to wipe the sweat… with the Firefly logo on them… An awesome gift from a fellow Firefly member.

Now, I have to tell you about our head Firefly … The reason we all enjoy showing up to the Y this early to begin with… ….

Her name is …..AMY…

She is an amazing cycle instructor.

She is a beautiful person…inside and out…

She is always positive and supportive.

She is always willing to take a song suggestion from a member and play it when she can.

She has a lot of spunk on the bike…

She’s strong and she is athletic.

She is very well liked.

She is also a school social worker, a zumba instructor, and a runner…

She is one of my best friends.

Everyone adores Amy and if it wasn’t for her… we would all be lost in life.. .Seriously….

Plus, you always leave her class with a great workout under your belt and feeling good about yourself…

I have to also tell you about some of the crazy and fun things that happen DURING Amy’s classes….

Let me set the scene.

Amy is up front on the instructor bike. She is wearing a head set. She is filled with zest and energy.. playing great tunes and saying positive and motiving things to us into that instructor headset of hers… We all work hard cycling for an hour.. Amy’s hair is in a loose bun on top of her head and that bun is bopping back and forth so fast it makes you dizzy..

The room is filled with Fireflies. They are on their bikes “doing their thing” to Amy’s instruction…

Some members…

Get off their bikes and start dancing like a chip n dales dancer,

Some members…

Point at each other when a particular song comes on that they knew is meant for that person… For example….There is one Firefly in particular that LOVES his country music. As soon as a country song comes on… All fingers point to him.

Some members….

Hoot, holler, and whistle when a “crowd favorite” song is played. Amy knows just the right time to get everybody all pumped up and yelling.

Some members….

Take their bike towels and waive them in a circle over their heads like a cowboy/cowgirl about to lasso something.

Some members…

Decide they want to “start a little trouble” and challenge other members to a “spin off”. (It’s kind of like a “dance off”, except on a stationary bike.). All eyes on the 2 people involved … They start competing for the loudest cheer and whistle..by just going “all out” with those spinning legs !! It’s hilarious and fun.. And it’s what keeps everyone coming back for more…

Every class is like that… and it’s super fun….

We all tend to have a lot of energy for so early in the morning.

A lot of funny shenanigans takes place before, during, and after these classes…

We all must have something similar amongst us that helped us form this bond. It just works and I can’t really pinpoint exactly what it is…

It is important that I tell you about the different people who are in the Firefly group. It’s the most special part of it all…..

We are a melting pot of different types of professions and backgrounds….

Get ready for this one…..

The Fireflies consist of………

Several well loved and hardworking school teachers (a classroom teacher, 2 gym teachers, and a school librarian), a talented quilting teacher, a spunky  teaching assistant, a smiling school safety officer, a super speech therapist, a well respected , retired police detective, 5 or 6 EXTREMELY well known and successful business owners , a few state employees.. including a never sarcastic  New York  State Trooper , a cheerful not for profit manager, a really nice utilities worker for Time Warner Cable, super smart insurance and advertising salesmen, 2 amazing graphic designers, a gorgeous physician assistant, a super nice anesthesiologist, a fast pedaling college professor, a few  awesome and brilliant school district administrators, a sweet nurse, a well known and always smiling  local bank president,  a super friendly IBMer, a great construction worker,  a few experienced business managers, a friendly office administrator, a caring financial controller, a cool UPS driver, … Oh… and me (an accountant)..

We all come from different backgrounds, ….We all get along well.

In this class, we are all friends… Black, white, tall, short, rich, poor, young, old, “blue color” workers, “white color” workers,……. We are all friends and we look out for each other.

It’s amazing to think that some of the greatest people in our community show up twice a week and do this as a group. That’s the way it works.. A bond … A strong bond..

We always try to support each others ventures OUTSIDE of class as well..

Here is just one example…

One Firefly member has a charity that is close and dear to his heart. He helps to organize an event each year called “Bike for Cancer Care”.  Proceeds from this event help local cancer patients with expenses.. The Fireflies always donate and always participate.

We hoot and we holler and we are usually the loudest group of people at an event when we are supporting our fellow Fireflies… It’s so fun!!

If someone has a problem, whether it’s …” My cable isn’t working, I need insurance, I need medical advice, I have a banking question, who knows a good plumber?”, etc… The Fireflies can either help you directly or know somebody who will be there for you in an instant !

One very special tradition amongst the Fireflies is the birthday tradition. When it is your birthday, you get a basket filled with presents.. A cute, old fashioned, girly, pink, bicycle basket.. Presents flow out the top of it.. and there are always helium balloons attached to your bike seat… Also, there is a cute “bicycle dingy bell” attached to your handle bars”.. You can ding that bell all of the class as much as you want…Also, you get to write your own music playlist for Amy to play during class….. It’s great…

Sadly, one of our beloved Fireflies passed away last year. He was a great man. His name was Dave… We still talk about him in class. His memory will always live on.. I still can’t believe we lost our first “Firefly”..

I also want to add, that, over the years additional bikes have been added to the cycle room.  When some new class participants come to take this class, they enjoy it and tend to keep coming back .. And  then, suddenly, there is another new firefly .. It’s definitely an open and inviting group who love meeting new people.

To finish,, I just want to say I am very proud to be an “Amy’s Firefly”…. It’s so humbling to be amongst  such a great group of friends…I love each and every one of them.

When you see a person wearing this logo (see photo at the top) on their shirt… Now you will know the background story of “Amy’s Fireflies”…

Check out these photos below of some of the Fireflies out and about doing good things.. Usually involving bikes (…and “cold beverages”)… I don’t have many photos from inside the Cycle Room. That’s because the Cycle Room at the Y is like Las Vegas. “What happens in the cycle room, stays in the cycle room”…..

If any of my Firefly friends have any cycle room photos they don’t mind sharing, I’d love that rare photo for this story…..