It is truly amazing to see the transformation that is taking place every day at Preston and Royal in Dallas, Texas. Two weeks ago the haberdashers at Ken’s were heading to the Dallas Cowboys game, not having a clue what the next few hours would be like. Seeing a tornado completely rip apart seventeen miles of our city in an unpredictable fashion left the residents speechless, which is remarkable because we Texans are really not quiet people by nature. West Dallas, Bluff View, Central and North Dallas, to Garland and over to Rowlett, the destruction of the F3 came unrelenting through some of the prettiest parts of Dallas.
We can rebuild homes and neighborhoods, but our magnificent old trees are gone forever. We will rebuild the fire station and the fifty-year-old strip centers, but will the shops ever be the same? The stories we continue to hear about are not being told in the papers. The one where two people in Central Market picked up a frozen customer and carried him to safety in the cooler. The bartender at Fish City who grabbed a client before the windows blew in behind the bar, throwing herself on top of him to protect him. The people who were stuck in their cars while they were blown around aimlessly, crashing into anything and everything. The stories go on and on.
What is most impressive, though, is the strength of this city – the people, and their caring and willingness to assist friends, neighbors, and newcomers. We are Texan through and through, but we are more than that. We are Dallas natives who lend a hand and support each other. We put everything on our shoulders and carry the load when the going gets tough. We keep getting up when we’ve fallen. This is the second major storm this year. We really learned from the first one in June.
We are especially thankful that both storms happened on Sundays. Could we imagine the death toll if either storm had happened in the early afternoon of a school day, or during rush-hour traffic? This story is not being covered enough because, again thankfully, there were not any deaths. Is that what it takes? This was the most expensive storm to ever hit this city. Let that sink in. The most expensive ever. We do need to talk about it more, learn from it, and become better, because we lived through it. Let’s not only get stronger, Dallas – let’s get smarter.
As we continue to recover and rebuild, Partners Card has allowed Preston Royal to extend the current offers until this coming Sunday, November 10th. This is great news for those who were planning on purchasing a card but hadn’t gotten around to it yet. Every single card pays for one night of shelter for a woman or her child.
Continual prayers for all people, families, and businesses that were and continue to be affected by the recent events.
Kory Helfman
Ken’s Man’s Shop
Dallas Haberdasher
