A Story of Connection

I'm continually amazed how we find connection online. As a blogger who's posted local content for years I've had numerous occasions where people (I know or not) found a post of mine and followed up to contact me. More so than anything I write about, it's the local conversations, especially those about a place or event with some personal history attached that I get the most engagement.

A Story of Connection...

 

Last Saturday I'm at Fred Meyer picking up a few groceries. My phone rings. Hmmm, area code 360. I have friends in 360 but no name is showing up, so you're not in my contacts. I wonder who it is. I never get crank calls from this area code. Curiosity gets the best of me and I answer...

 

It's David Johnston. I don't know him but he called me because he stumbled onto one of my blog posts about the Renton Library. We've had a few years of controversy over moving the library from the river to downtown. He's curious, finds a few other posts about the library I've done and decided to call me...

 

David Johnston is 92 years old, he'll be 93 this September and lives in Sequim, Washington over on the Olympic Penninsula. As the story unfolds I learn he's the last surviving member of the Johnston Campanella and Company, Architects of Renton. They designed and got The Library Over the River built.

So here I am in Fred Meyer on a busy Saturday afternoon, Muzak blairing overhead, dodging people in the isles listening to David the best I can tell me this amazing story about the project, the politics, the people, and the challenges of constructing such a building over a river. David is sharp and I'm really enjoying the conversation, but I can't write anything down, my cell phone is about to die, and I can't hear him very well. When I get the chance I ask him if I can call him back on Monday afternoon.

So I did call him today and we had a wonderful chat. I learned about many of the buildings they designed and built and wouldn't you know it they're some of my favorites in the area that were built in the late 50's through 60's and 70's. The firm won several awards for their forward looking designs with simple yet interesting lines, their innovative use of glass, steel, concrete, and natural lighting. They also built several area schools and churches and led the way to modern grocery store design with the Market Basket Stores.

I could write at least 5000 words and not get through it all, but not now. Today I'm basking in the amazement that history lept off the page and gave me a call. I was so touched when he told me he was reminiscing about the library, got online, and found my conversations about it and decided to give me a call.

David thanked me for the call back today and we were like a couple of kids. He found me, I found him. He said near the end of our conversation, "Of all the buildings he helped to create, the library was most dear to his heart."

Then he closed with, "Okay then, I have your info, you have mine, keep in touch." 

The Library Over the River    The Library That Neva Got Built     Homework Comes First

"Where there's conversation, there's opportunity."

Please Note - The views expressed herein reflect only the individual’s personal views
and are not the views of the author’s employer.

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René Fabre cell: 425-749-9296 rfabre@firstam.com

First American Title 24722 104th Ave SE Suite 100 Kent, WA 98030