It’s All About Community

accident changed his life dramatically.

“I was hit by a car and there was no way I could climb under cars or do the physical work on my knees in the cold of construction. It was 1988 and I was in the hospital for seven weeks and then rehab and had to reinvent myself. I ran into an old friend, Jimmy Barnes, who was an optician and suggested I give it a shot. I apprenticed at Gopen Optical for three or four years and got my license in 1995 and joined Jimmy in South Boston,” he explained.

Hard work and luck seem to work for him, and when one storefront on West Broadway ended in 2004, Jimmy and Bernie heard that a customer, Bob Doyle, had space.

“We called him, and he said ’I’m getting a haircut. Come on up and look at what I have,’ and we did. We loved it and he is a wonderful guy. We just couldn’t ask for more,” he said. And the location has stayed test of time, perfect for the business, an appreciative optician and customers.

Calling this a stroke of luck, there is also something about someone trustworthy working with the same, and even as prices surge and businesses come and go, there is a sense of community with the optician, his landlord and the community.

His partner , Jimmy Barnes, retired, and now Bernie is the sole owner working with the optometrist he describes as “as good as they come,” Dr. Rae Huang. Other than dealing with difficult insurance issues, he is a man who knows and loves his business and community.

“I welcome competition,” he said. “I know the quality and approach I have, so anyone can go anywhere, but I do this the way I know best.”

“The reward is helping people and all kinds of people. You establish relationships and that matters. Sometimes, people have strokes or dementia and then eye care changes, and none of it is their fault,” he said.

“Or, sometimes, someone just wants something new. It’s all kinds. It is a good career, clean and warm, too.”

Bernie is also a musician who once played drums in a band and also played guitar, but other than “ little trips down the Cape, “ he seems satisfied with the life he has constructed.

Recently a late day customer appeared nervously explaining that new tri-focal weren’t working for her. She spent fifteen minutes with Bernie, and left smiling broadly. “I didn’t think it would work out and now it seems simple,” she said leaving with a plan to return in two days for glasses that suited her better. Her neighborhood

Tuesday,

776 Summer Street

Deconstruction Update

optician resolved a problem once again.

Bernie Nania, who reinvented himself long ago, put another customer at ease without even a hint of frustration or irritation. He does the same with a new customer looking for the trendiest frames. “I love this community and my people,” he said. “I have no plans to retire.”

You perhaps knew that two sessions of “Hygge” had been scheduled at the South Boston Branch Library – the first one was Saturday, February 4; the second one is this week (Saturday, February 18, 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.). Everyone is welcome to attend Hygge on the 18th, and as always at our Branch Library, there’s no charge for admission – bring your family

Hygge Comes to the Library

and your friends, if you wish. Registration isn’t required, either. Hygge is actually a custom from the nation of Denmark. It’s pronounced “hoo-gah” – the double “o” sounds the same as the double “o” in the word “hook”. International surveys consistently rank the Danish folks among the happiest in the world, and their custom of Hygge is one of the reasons for that. Remember Denmark has long, cold winters just like we experience here in Boston, and Hygge helps the Danes get through to spring. So set aside an hour or so on the 18th, and visit Hygge at South Boston’s Branch Library.

The photographs shown with this article were actually shot in the Library’s Public Room at their Hygge on February 4; what you see is also what you can look forward to on the 18th. The lighting is kept low in the Public Room. There are quiet activities for the children, such as coloring. Sketching by adults is encouraged as well, or you can simply bring

Seaport Goes Renewable

Over the past several years, WS Development has been the largest single developer of the South Boston Seaport District. A key point in the center of their Seaport mega-projects is the brilliantly lit Courthouse Square, which is shown in the accompanying night photograph. This month, WS announced that they plan to convert each of their Seaport properties to renewable electric power. These sources of electricity will all be hydroelectric – i.e., water power generated by New England’s dams.

a newspaper or fetch a book and read quietly for a while, or talk quietly with your friends. Wear thick, warm socks; take off your shoes when you arrive at Hygge; and most important of all, just relax for a while.

Branch Librarian Jane Bickford and her staff will supply refreshments to round out your Hygge experience on

February 18. Apple cider and hot chocolate along with varieties of cookies will provide that last essential touch that’ll make your wintertime Hygge experience a warm., coxy memory. In addition, you’ll find that Hygge is a “do-it-yourself” activity you can perfrom anytime in your own home to make the winter pass more quickly and enjoyably.

Window on West Broadway

It is still the middle of February, even though there are periods when the weather is absolutely spring-like. If you need to brighten your outlook, just stop by the shop window at E and West Broadway where Sweet Tooth used to be – No. 369, to be exact. Just look in for a moment and let those brightly warm colors sink in