Seeing is easily taken for granted. Almost on the day I turned forty my 20 x 20 eyesight disappeared into a blurry box. I got by for a year on readers purchased at the drug store. I was too vain to admit I needed glasses, too proud to ask for help. Then my drugstore readers stopped doing the job.
I remembered a neat little store near Duke University’s East Campus called Specs. Meeting Specs owner George Faget I relaxed. George’s passion for glasses is clear. His loyal team, many have worked for George for over twenty years, love glasses and helping people as much as the boss. George is one of those special people who found his life’s work early. Specs is a Durham institution and must have helped thousands of people see better.
Until meeting George I wasn’t wild about getting glasses. Glasses seemed one more sign of an inevitable slide toward entropy. George cheered me up. You can’t be sad or depressed around George. His passion for life is infectious and fun. Our first meeting lasted for hours as we compared notes from our lives. George is never in a rush. He takes his time.
The funny part is George could be in a rush. George has been in his chosen profession so long, his knowledge so vast, he asks a few questions and knows exactly where your eyes fit. We talked, George put a few lens into his equipment and asked me to look at the chart on the wall. The first pass was 90% right with a few tweaks we discovered my first eye glass prescription.
George is a living example of Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000 hours idea. Gladwell‘s Outliers explains perspiration and experience are more important than inspiration and invention. Bill Gates programmed more and earlier than most. Warren Buffet bought more stocks and George Faget has helped thousands of people see better during his twenty year ownership of Specs. George’s expertise extends to his team. Ruth Cochran, Joe McCauley, Doug Stanley have worked for Specs for years. George’s new store at SouthPoint Mall, right near my house, is just as much fun and helpful as his anchor store near Duke. Spec’s SouthPoint staff includes Christine Dial, who has helped me many times, and Eduardo Avilez. The store is located in a nook right across from Barnes and Noble and the Apple store.
My most recent Specs miracle happened only a few weeks ago. During Martin’s Ride I dropped a heavy RV door on my face. I had to open this heavy side door several times daily to store bicycling stuff (shoes, helmet, gloves). It was heavy and awkward and I often opened it when tired and beat. Only a matter of time before this door attacked. The day it did I happened to be looking up. The door scratched my new lens. I’d updated my prescription before leaving on Martin’s Ride. I’ve had the same frames for years (see my glasses on the cover of the Notes the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center’s twice yearly publication).
One thing I don’t have after Martin’s Ride is cash. Martin’s Ride earned over $20,000 in donations, but 100% of donated money goes to fighting cancer. I paid for Martin’s Ride and so was BROKE (am broke). Christine called the manufacturer of my glasses and asked to have my lens replaced under warranty. She explained I spent the summer raising money for cancer research and a rogue RV door bashed my glasses. Christine is so helpful, cheerful and kind and I bet Specs does a good business with the company so they agreed saving me hundred of dollars I don’t really have right at the moment (though I’m getting to know Mr. Visa and MasterCard pretty well LOL).
This is the kind of “above and beyond” service Specs is all about. They take an interest, care about the outcome and want to help. It is easy to misplace importance. We buy on price when we should care about value. We care about value when price should drive. What are your eyes worth? Priceless is the answer that comes to my mind (echoing another credit card commercial ☺), so I take my eyes to George and his team at Specs where I know they will be well looked after. My eyes have just seen purple mountains, endless fields of grain, Zion’s granite church and Yosemite’s Capitan all thanks to my friends at Specs. How does one repay such a debt? I’m sending my brother to see George and his team next week.
For all George and Specs have done to help me and Durham Specs Eyeglasses is awarded an honorary Martin's Ride sponsorship.
Thanks George, Christine, Eduardo, Ruth, Joe and Doug!
Marty
(see my glasses on the cover of Notes)
Specs Eyeglasses Stores
701 9th Street
Durham, North Carolina 27705
919.286.4426
Hours: M - F 9:30 - 6:00, Saturday 11 - 3, Sunday = closed
SouthPoint Mall (across from Barnes and Noble in the nook)
919.572.1200
Hours: M - Saturday 10:00 - 9:00, Sunday 12:00 to 7:00