Steps to Recovery

I had my car serviced at 60’s Motors this week. They’ve been my go-to auto shop since I moved here in 2001. Located just down the street from me—a short hop and a skip past Broad Street, on the corner of Highway 60 and Mesquite—I drop my car off whenever it needs servicing or stop in to have Gus or one of the mechanics listen to a funny noise. I know they’ll take care of me, and I can always rely on them.

So it felt really good this week to see them open again, and to see Gus back at the counter after witnessing the damage the flood did to his shop. For them to come back in what I can only describe as record time—and to see their neighbor Globe Gym reopen, too—is the kind of healing salve we all need right now. I may never know the full measure of what it took to rebuild, but I’m so grateful they did.

After that, I stopped in at Salina’s Smoke House and ordered the ribeye special. The restaurant, which sits next to the creek beneath the shade of big trees, ended up squarely in the path of rushing water that night. And yet, here they were—just a month later—doors open, the interior as beautiful as ever, serving up some mean barbecue and that perfect ribeye steak. The human spirit is a mystery—both fragile and steeled for heavy lifting.

Every reopening, every small step toward recovery, is a step toward getting our lives back.

The City of Globe has canceled all downtown events for now—meaning the loss of many signature gatherings like Halloween on Broad, Ghosts of Globe, and several planned fundraisers that will have to wait. Several downtown buildings have been red-tagged and may need to come down. That all seems bad.

On the other hand, the long-condemned Old Silver King building has finally been taken down, opening the lot for something useful—perhaps downtown parking or a small park. And Tina McCreary, the owner of the dance studio that is in the process of being completely gutted,discovered a huge mural painted in the 40’s that was hidden by drywall all this time. That all seems good. 

There’s been both loss and renewal in the wake of this flood, but we’re holding onto hope that the good will carry us through and make us stronger in the end.