Still Standing

For the past two weeks, the ongoing refrain at the front counter has been, "what happened to the front of the building?"

And, each time, a small wave of gratefulness washes over me as I explain how a collision in the intersection at 37th and Nicollet led to a car being pushed into front corner column next to our entryway.

We're still standing.

The brickwork damage is severe on that corner and will need to be replaced.  The foundation behind it does seem to have withstood the impact.  It was a small car that ended up against the building.  It could have been worse.

The accident happened at 11:15 am on Sunday morning, February 16, when the shop was closed.  Had it occurred during our normal business hours, this would have created a very chaotic day.   As it was, we found debris on the sidewalk on Monday morning, but I was able to sweep up the mess to create safe passage into the building before 7 am.

Because of the location of the impact, only brick work was damaged.  The doorway to the right and window to the left were not damaged.  No plumbing or electrical lines were in that portion of the building.  And thankfully, no people were on the sidewalk at the time.   The car missed our three metal chicken sculptures by inches. Our outdoor waste sorting center was not damaged. Nothing fell off the walls inside the building.   From what we've learned the cars involved were badly damaged, but we don't have reports of serious injuries to the drivers.   

It really could have been worse.

This accident occurred just days after a city water main broke at 50th and Penn - flooding several businesses, closing them down.  That damage was so much worse and has really disrupted these businesses.   The only disruption for us at this point is in taking time to explain the broken bricks and direct insurance calls to our landlord.  We feel so lucky.

I never imagined.

Although we have sustained some damage to the building during our 12 years on the corner, including a busted front glass door during a cold December morning in 2013 that included the theft our shop's safe.  There has been graffiti, damage to our Little Free Library, garden planters, and picnic tables, and some challenges with misuse of the bathroom toilets.  But, even during the civil unrest of 2020, the building itself, had seen no damage.  So this was a first.   

Yes, there have been car accidents at the corner, and there was the time a pedestrian was hit as he ran out of our shop and across Nicollet to try to catch a bus.  But, having a car land on the sidewalk didn't seem like something that could actually happen here.  Whenever I have a new staff member join us I review the potential safety hazards around our cafe, but now, I feel the need to include safety around the sidewalk and entry area as well. We have held on to an illusion of safety I guess. 

Many of you know the story of my sister's accident this past November.  She was hit as a pedestrian using a crosswalk near St. Anthony Main.  The driver was making a lefthand turn, but because the driver was using his phone, he never saw her.  Although he got out to check on her, he left the scene of the accident and has not yet taken the responsible step of reporting himself to any authorities.  Her injuries were substantial and have disrupted her life in many ways.  Sadly, my sister's experience has not been a rare occurrence lately.  Driver inattention and excessive speed have created much more fear and uncertainty for me around vehicles, and I'm hearing that I'm not alone.  

We are still standing.  The damage was cosmetic. The repairs may put this all behind us and in time will become just another memory.   In the long arc of the Butter Bakery story, this will be just one small incident that shook us up for a few weeks.   

Sadly, I fret more about what else is happening around us these days.  Damage to our economic system.  Damage to our political system.  Damage to our foundation of public service. Damage to free speech. Damage to truth.  Are these only cosmetic?  Once we clean up the debris will we find cracks in the foundation of our democracy that threaten to take down larger parts of our country?   How many reckless collisions can our democracy take?

For me, as a business owner, the uncertainty is real.  I worry about a fragile family farm economy and small business economy that has only recently felt any sort of stability after the pandemic and the unrest of a racial reckoning that brought upheaval in so many ways.  We needed to pivot and adjust; we had to thin and reassess.   I now carry the weight of debt we accumulated as we tried to maintain a daily presence here at the corner of 37th and Nicollet through these past five years.   If a piece of equipment breaks down or a supplier increases prices, it chips away at my confidence and hopefulness.

We are still standing, but much like the bricks scattered on the sidewalk, the on-paper numbers for my business (and so many small businesses like mine around our city) show enough damage to be noticeable. The cracks from these past years are indeed exposing structures that are stressed. And we wonder if they can keep standing.

We are still standing because we are not alone in this journey.  Your sighs of relief and words of encouragement add cement to the foundation.  Your joy and gratitude increase our strength.  Your willingness to shop your values and organize with your neighbors gives us courage.  We walk this path together - and together we can keep each other safe along the way.