The Good Old Days

Back when I was a kid there used to be great bookstores all over the place.  Most of these stores were quirky dimly-lit abodes that possessed the wonderful scent of printer's ink and book paste that all frequent readers have come to love.  The wonderful scent used to be lurking around every corner as books practically leaped off the shelves trying to get into eager hands.

Then along came the big bookstore chains like Borders and Barnes & Noble who gobbled up the independently owned stores and soon afterward, the old rule of "what goes around comes around" went into effect.  Borders has now vanished from the scene with hardly a whimper, and who knows what the future holds for Barnes & Noble.

There used to be record stores too.  Record stores that actually sold vinyl. Remember them?  Loved to browse through all the albums and check out the artwork on the covers.

Just as the world changes, the way we access entertainment changes too.  Technology (the internet, Kindle etc.) is mostly a good thing, but there are moments when it leaves one feeling sentimental and saddened over the demise of  the good old days.