As a young kid, you are oblivious to the hardships adulthood will have in store for you. Sometimes I find myself reminiscing about my childhood and all the wonderful things I once took for granted. Although these places are gone now or simply just not the same, they will always have a special place in my heart.
Blockbuster
Before today’s “Netflix and Chill” came “Let’s go to Blockbuster on a Friday night!” One of the most beloved places to go to pick out a movie or two along with a treat was at your local Blockbuster. What was great about Blockbuster was being able to browse through endless movie titles from all different genres, something that Netflix extremely lacks today. At least at Blockbuster you could rent a movie you wanted instead of endlessly having to scroll through mediocre options, only to rewatch a series for the tenth time on Netflix. While there is one left known in existence in Bend, Oregon it is a bit too far out of reach for this New Yorker… for the time being that is.
Toys “R” Us
While the closing of Toys “R” Us is recent news, we cannot deny the fact that yet another part of our childhood has been put to rest. Walking down the endless aisles of toys, you could not pick just one. Whether it was a stuffed fish with every color of the rainbow, a tea set, or a new bike, Toys “R” Us had it all. When Geoffrey the Giraffe, the mascot of Toys “R” Us, waved his final farewell this past August I could not help but shed a tear.
The “Original” Chuck E. Cheese’s
Remember the days when arcade games, ball pits, and an animatronic show were enough? Now with efforts to re-brand nationwide to appeal to a more modern audience, Chuck E. Cheese is almost unrecognizable with his newly, animated appearance. Gone are the days of Chuck E. Cheese in his creepy; outdated mouse costume we loved nonetheless and not to mention the high-caloric pizza I still crave to this day. The franchise is also in the works of removing the animatronic characters from “Munch’s Make Believe Band” because of their decrepit state and their inability to function properly. Although I have not stepped foot in a Chuck E. Cheese in over ten years, I would rather remember the place as it once was- a place where my best friend and I would go to spend a Friday afternoon together without a single care in the world.
Club Libby Lu
Ah, Club Libby Lu. The only place a second-grader could get a total makeover and walk out a supermodel. While parents did not approve of what their daughters looked like after a Birthday party at Club Libby Lu (sorry mom but college is no better today) it was such a thrill to feel like a princess. From glitter makeup on steroids to our hair-sprayed to the point we could not feel our foreheads, none of this mattered to us. We were invincible!
Borders
While Borders was a chain bookstore, it certainly did not feel like it. Unlike its competitor Barnes & Noble, where you feel overwhelmed as soon as you walk through the entrance, Borders had a warm and welcoming ambiance. The children’s section with its decorative wallpaper and stacks of books was a nook I could escape to while my mom browsed for her own novels. Going to Borders on a school night was such a treat. Not only would I be able to pick out a book… or ten, I would grab McDonald’s with my mom while listening to Paul McCartney CDs on the car ride home. Borders has been gone for a decade now, but still remains vivid in my memory.
Cherishing the past makes you appreciate your childhood even more once you get a taste of what “adulting” is really like. Sometimes it is the little things that turn into the big things in life. What places or things do you miss the most from your childhood?