I fear it is time to bid farewell to the movie-renting chain that won my heart in the early 90's. Michael and I had a date last week and decided to rent a movie...something we hadn't done in years. We went to the good ole Blockbuster, the one we used to frequent as newlyweds. It was quite nostalgic for us. While we were there, we saw that Tangled had come out and it was only $1 to rent it for a night. Kaylie has been begging us to see that movie, so Michael told me to come back and get it the following week for the whole family to enjoy. He's a sucker for a blue-eyed blonde, wink, wink...my hair used to be blonde.
Imagine my surprise when I walked into that very same Blockbuster 1 week later, to find things much changed. Me and the kids strolled in those doors earlier this evening. They quickly informed me that I had walked by 2 typed papers taped to the doors stating that the store was closing and that I had failed to notice that nothing was left on the shelves. I turned around with all 3 kids in tow to go back out the door I came in, only to find that, it, in fact only opened from the outside, as Blockbuster doors tend to do. I was forced to take that final walk around those oh-so-familiar counters and out the other side, the exit door. You know the one where they would hand you the movies in their white plastic bag, just past the security system, so as not to sound the alarm. There were workers, still clothed in their navy blue employee shirts, packing all the videos away in boxes.
And so I drove off, thinking that now I understood what old people feel like when they talk about things like Route 66 and 8 track tapes. Things that were once a huge part of their life, that eventually got past by or outdated. Blockbuster is my own Route 66.
Blockbuster, you have been outdated...thanks to Redbox and satellite tv. The world no longer has a need for your service. I commend you for a valiant effort to keep up with the latest technology...you made it through DVD's and Blueray. I don't think you will make it through this one.
So, thank you Blockbuster for providing me with many a Man in the Moon rental in 5th grade, and then there was Buffy the Vampire Slayer in 6th (the movie, not the series!), and then the Ace Ventura years...they lasted a while. All of that faded nicely into Tommy Boy, Billy Madison, Dumb and Dumber, Goonies---for goodness sake. I almost forgot about my obsession sometime in high school with 8 Seconds, which my mom got sick of spending the money renting so she ended up buying me my own VHS for Christmas one year. I loved that video tape mom, even though you accidentally got it with Spanish subtitles...so funny and so my life!
Good times! The even funnier part is that I went to Redbox to get the kids something else tonight...not Tangled...because they don't have that new of releases at Redbox. Annoying! Couldn't even rent any movie because something was wrong with the machine/computer...whatever it is and the screen was frozen! I needed Blockbuster tonight and everyone else in the world who cares about technology has long forgotten about it! I like the navy shirts. I like somebody telling me to enjoy my movie. I like seeing all the people in there who had the same idea I had on a Wednesday night.
I am being dragged kicking and screaming into all of this upgraded technology! I am reminding myself of my dad, who still to this day does not actually have call waiting on his home phone.
Nothing last forever...not even Blockbuster.
