Lock the door, one more time
Pardon my sense of melancholy, but another friend is going away. The local magazine shop will lock the front door in a couple of days, and the gang of individuals who have been there for the last couple of decades will be scattered to the wind, like the blow-in cards of their stock.
The weekday neighbourhood where I hang out has lost several shops over the last few months. The tiny corner store, where I used to get my bus pass, or a box of Smarties closed at the end of the summer. They’d celebrated more than fifty years in business, but it ended. Retirement, no replacement planned. A great sandwich shop. Now the magazine/used CD store.
I went there often. Looking for the most recent issue of whatever caught my interest. Listening to the eclectic mix of music that the guys put up from their used CD business. There were some sweet spots in the corners, where the stereo became quadraphonic (or more). Nothing big or box store about the place. When I needed them to stockpile my wooden puzzles (don’t ask) for summer vacation, they did it without hesitation.
The pair behind the counter looked shell shocked, just now. The world didn’t stop reading, as far as I know, but somebody probably wants the square footage for another, more upscale client. . We all said “thank you”. And then I headed back to the office. From now on, to find stuff to read, I’ll just range farther afield. And they’ll do… something. I hope.
So, what did I buy, today?
- Locomotives Annual
- MusicTech Focus Mastering Volume 3
- Home Shop Ideas
Not a People, or a Time or a Rolling Stone in the lot, although they were all available. They won’t be, come Monday.
