“Sometimes you have to lose everything you’ve got to get what you want” said Sandra Wright.  Those words rang through my head the whole time that I was doing the Wright’s story.  Doug and Sandra right lost their house of twenty-two years and all their possessions in a massive fire in Paradise Texas on January 29, 2008.

I had been shooting the fire on foot since it started that day, and several hours after it started and was contained I was walking back through the destruction and noticed a man standing in looking at once what was his house. I walked up and introduced myself.  He very politely and friendly said, “My name is Doug, Doug Wright.  No sorrow showed, just a blank look, like what was the whole purpose. He bent down and brushed some patches off of a war memorial he had planted in the ground and just said, “well everybody is okay and that’s all that really matters.” I asked him what he was going to do, and he just chuckled and said “we’ll, just have to see.”  I left Doug alone to try to piece it all together but felt a connection like this guy has something to teach me. After the smoke cleared I went back to see how Doug was doing and that’s when I met his wife of 40 years Sandra Wright..  After talking to her awhile, I then knew both these folks had something to share not only with me but also with everybody.

she said “I’m going to rebuild over all my memories so they’re not lost. So the eight-month journey began by cleaning everything by hand, all the debris and destruction in order to make room for the new dream house as Sandra called it. I watched these two people work side by side like two mules plowing a field in unison.  Tired and weary their attitude never changed, and they just kept plugging. Doug and Sandra never asked for anything, but people came from everywhere to donate their time and money the Wright’s had just enough insurance to get the dirt work done. After eight months I shot several hundred images and recording hours of audiotape my part was done.

The Wright’s moved into their new dream house but they were different now.  Somehow they seem to have a burden lifted off of them, and had a very thorough understanding of what it was they needed and what they did’nt.  As I sat set and talked with them for the last interview it was like I was talking to newlyweds just enjoying each other’s company. Sandra said “I know I’m in it because my bed is in it.”.

Meeting Doug and Sandra and people like them is the best part of what I do and the life lessons they teach me.  Thanks for sharing your story with me guys.

The Story