About this location
A few stories people tell about this place
1. At dawn, when most people were still dreaming, a delivery driver pulled up to TSO with an unusual package. The box was wrapped in brown paper and sealed with twine, but what caught everyone’s eye was the note attached: ‘Open only under bright light.’ Inside, the box held nothing more than a pair of mismatched spectacles and a handwritten card that read: 'Try these on for size!' Turns out, it was just a prank from a neighbor who wanted everyone to see life through different lenses.
2. In an old neighborhood in Chicago, a little girl named Emma often played near the window of TSO Opticians after school. One day, she noticed something peculiar—a tiny golden key, no bigger than her thumb, kept appearing on the sidewalk outside the shop's door. One morning, a delivery driver found the key and joked that it must be for the secret entrance to TSO’s treasure room. Soon enough, neighbors started leaving their own mini keys—some silver, some copper—as if playing a game. The owner, Mr. Lee, pretended not to notice but smiled every time he saw another key appear. Finally, Emma asked him, ‘Do you really have a special place?’ He winked and replied, ‘Only in our imaginations.’
3. One morning, while customers were choosing frames, an elderly gentleman asked the optician: ‘Why do all those glasses look so familiar?’ The optician smiled and replied, 'Ah, you see them every day—your own reflection!' The old man blushed, realizing his mistake with a laugh. From then on, whenever someone mentioned TSO, everyone thought of that funny moment when mirrors met in unexpected places.
4. In the early hours of every Monday morning, just as employees were arriving at TSO Optical, a soft humming sound could be heard coming from inside the store. No one knew where it came from or what caused it—just that it happened every week without fail. One Monday, an elderly gentleman entered the shop and asked curiously, ‘Is that humming always there?’ The manager smiled mysteriously, replying, ‘Ah, yes—it’s our secret friend who helps us open the blinds.’ Everyone laughed, realizing it was simply the alarm clock radio left on by the night cleaner.