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| Macintosh Books, pre-Ian | |
Macintosh Books + Paper, Sanibel, Fla., which suffered a "devastating blow" from Hurricane Ian last week, has launched a $30,000 Gofundme "relocation fund" campaign so the bookshop can reopen in an interim location for "the year or two that it takes for Sanibel to heal, rebuild and welcome us home," owner Rebecca Binkowski wrote on the fundraising page.
"Last week our long-standing community bookshop suffered a devastating blow by Hurricane Ian. With a massive storm surge and all access to the island cut-off, everything inside our beloved shop is lost. It's not just the merchandise, but equipment, fixtures and memorabilia," Binkowski noted. "We are rebuilding our shop from scratch.... MacIntosh has been a Sanibel tradition since 1960 and we will not say goodbye this way! If we can gather a small nest egg, to be used for relocation expenses, we will reopen nearby in November and save our family business. There is so much devastation and so much need, it's overwhelming, but our family is committed to the community we've built and the island we call home. Please help if you can and know that your messages and comments are the bursts of joy that light our new path. Thank you, friends and stay tuned for the next chapter of MacIntosh Books!"
In an Instagram post yesterday, Binkowski observed: "If there's one thing that I've learned in this business and in life, we all have stories to tell. And more importantly, we NEED to tell our stories. It's how we connect, move forward and heal. It's what makes us human. Hearing other peoples stories, as many and as different from ours as we can makes us ultimately more compassionate and kind people. It's primitive. It's in our DNA.
"Yesterday the bulk of my day was spent finding my mail. I hadn't driven into Fort Myers yet and neither had my friend, so we made the decision to head into town together. What would normally take 20 minutes, took well over an hour, each way. Publix is open and a few gas stations with long lines, some have gas and some don't, but everything else is closed. Most traffic lights are out and cones reroute you to where you'll be safest. So much debris. So much devastation.
"The mission was mail, but the magic in the day was in the stories we told one another. How we endured this traumatic event, how we're moving forward. What we hope to teach our kids, what we wish we had already known. How we still felt like we were in our twenties, working at South Seas on Captiva, were we met nearly three decades ago. We're sad. We're grateful. We're scared. We need help and we want to help. It's the same for all of us. It was cathartic and a balm, this story session and I hope that all of you have friends like this, even one, who lets you tell your raw, real, messy stories. If you don't, get them out however you can! Let someone tell you their story. The world needs more things done out of love. Let someone tell you their story. The world needs more things done out of love."