I'm back at my original shoppe

It's now February of 2012. What a long journey it has been after the fire of October 6, 2010. I am still taking care of little things like storage, shelving and setting up the upstairs for an Optometrist. I want to post the story of the fire mainly to thank all of the wonderful people who are in my life. 

 On October 6th, 2010 I began to receive strange texts from my high school friends which I ignored because I was getting ready for work. Finally when another came across "Are you all right?" I called as I was on the Powhite parkway and said "What's up did someone have a bad dream about me? Of course I'm all right." My friend Donna on the other end froze. She had already seen on the news that Carytown Optical was on fire. She didn't tell me but asked that I call her when I got to work. I pulled up and saw fire trucks blocking Cary Street and thought Oh there must be a little grease fire at Carytown Burgers and Fries or something. They are worried about me" When I pulled around to my shoppe of 20 years I saw a long line of people I know and my neighbors staring and waiting for me. I looked back and saw the windows blown out of my shoppe and ran toward the front door and went in. It was like going into a black smokey cave and I felt as if I was in a movie. I was pulled back by the fire men and Dennis my neighbor of 15 years was there to help me in my shock. I kept asking "what happened " and then do not remember raising my head from Dennis's shoulder or being able to see through my sobs for a good 20 minutes. 

It was a day I'll never forget in which I learned so so much. I learned about life changing on a dime. I learned about exhaustion and shock and that post traumatic syndrome is real. Your mind cannot do the rising above at those first weeks after a traumatic even. My survival mechanisms had total control and kept me up every night in search of my walls at home catching fire. I was certain that things would just ignite every where and to every one I knew. The exhaustion and the feeling of being frozen because there was more to do that I could handle was overwhelming. 

The fire was and electrical fire cause by aluminum wires in the wall. Apparently buildings built in the 1960's during the Vietnam war used aluminum wiring and they are more apt to loosen near their fittings from expansion and contraction unlike copper. So the walls did just ignite. I was locked out of the original location for a month while three fire investigations took place. I knew I had to set up shoppe quick and thought about a new location for good instead of waiting around for a rebuild. I knew that this could also cost me a lot of my regular customers if I went too far away. 

Unbelievably fortunately, there was an empty building much too big for me for the long haul but it could do for the time. I asked the owner and I was allowed to set up shoppe only 3 doors down from my burned business!! Still at that time I was unsure that I could or even wanted to do it. Many nights of no sleep and a bit of tears I wanted to throw my nasty smelly smokey remains in the nearest dumpster. As I was considering this in the first few days, in would pour the emails and the cards and the bottles of wine and food to feed my children while I worked until late late at night. In poured the tools and tables and instruments from other optical shoppes in town like Tom Kirkland and River Front Optical and the Virginia Eye Institute. In poured all kinds of optical tools and equipment from Opticians from around the state through the Opticians Association of Virginia. The Jefferson hotel showed up with a truck and in it were tables and chairs and mirrors for my make shift temporary optical shoppe. Neighbors, friends, strangers, competitors, colleges would not let me quit. Neon was brought in almost immediately by my dear customer and now great friend Doug of Uptown neon "just to brighten up the place" Anyone who has neon in the city of Richmond know Doug or you may have passed by his house in the Fan which is glowing with neon. 

Without the help of Joe, a trusted customer and friend and Daniella his assistant I would not be here in business today. They took care of advocating for me and handling the many many emails and documents and faxes required of a business to the insurance company month after month after month. I am forever grateful. The care and attention of the men on the day I was allowed into my old burned shoppe to retrieve whatever could be saved was so touching. They were so sweet in that black mess to take the time to bring me the tiniest remnant of my life whether it be a burned photo or tiny little toy or half burned thank you card and ask me "would you like to keep it or should I throw away?" 

Joan Dalton was there with me that day that the shoppe was unlocked after investigations in the black muck! She brought me respirators and help tirelessly to save whatever we could. My sales reps were all wonderful. I owe a huge thanks to Jim Sedor of Oakley and Gil Finley of Silhouette. You are both amazing. Brian Snider from my optical lab was also incredibly wonderful in helping first and foremost to take care of my customers who lost orders in the fire. 

My customers were also quite wonderful. They were all so so understanding and allowed me the time needed to get it all back together. So many had left deposits on eyeglasses orders a few weeks to a few days before the fire. None questioned or called or panicked that they would not be taken care of. All of my customers had faith and patience. 

When I moved into the temporary space beneath the striped awning I got a visit from Patricia from Carytown Teas . She sweetly asked that afternoon " Do you think I could set up my teas over here in the corner of this space where you are. Carytown Teas had been put out by the fire too. I said "Yes, Of Course!!"" and thus the only known Opt-Tea-cal shoppe in the world began to evolve. We encouraged each other and helped each other and became stronger women than we ever knew we were and we had lots of fun together. My neighbor Lucy Coates brought in her beautiful art to fill the temporary space right away and she also brought me homemade fig jam and biscuits. My dear friend Annie Norman whose friendship with me goes back to 13 years old or so, was there to help in so many countless ways. 

We had a fire party and sold smokey things. We celebrated our fortune in being able to set up shoppe in our temporary space. There was great food and Gene Pendleton's jazz band and lots of good friends. It was a night I'll never forget. There are so many others who helped and will never ever know how much they and their gestures of kindness will never ever be forgotten. Farouk brought me flowers often in those first days and was always around to just help Patricia and I. Robert helped move and clean and hang things and we think of you often Robert where ever you are. 

I owe a huge thank you to my children, River, Hunter and Cole for being so helpful in the cleanup and set up of the temporary space and then again the move to my original space. They were wonderful and patient in those first difficult months. Thank you Fred Jones for the care and attention to my old shoppe and for allowing us to set up in the temporary shoppe. Thank you to the firemen and C.G Hicks for the beautiful rebuild of the building. Thank you to all of my son's friends who volunteered and helped me with moving so many heavy things in the move back. This is a huge testimony to the people of Richmond. I love you all and am now so happy to be back on the corner in my original space with my garden out front and my bird feeders and my bright new shoppe. Cynthia