Thursday, November 14, 2013

Buh-Bye Blockbuster

I'm very, very sad to hear the news about Blockbuster Video finally closing its last brick and mortar store.

I can't remember the last time I actually rented a video from them, but sad nonetheless.

I worked at Blockbuster Video during college for a few years at a few locations.  It actually was one of the most enjoyable jobs I've ever had.

At the time, I didn't fully appreciate the blue oxford and khaki pant uniform, but I cannot imagine how much time it saved me in lieu of trying to figure out what to wear to work each day.

It was there that I became addicted to Twizzlers, having an endless supply at my fingertips.

I started out at the Forest Drive location in Columbia, South Carolinas, but then moved on to the West Columbia store.  I also filled in at the Irmo and Lexington locations.

When I first started, I primarily worked evenings and weekends.  I hated the "greet every customer" policy, as it sounded robotic on a busy Friday evening.  I aspired to be the "Movie Guide" who would roam the store and make suggestions.  I moved on to the day shift, where I would open the store with Keith, the assistant manager.  We had so much fun during those less hectic hours.  Snooping into customer accounts and seeing what types of movies they viewed was a particular favorite pastime.

Inventory was a bitch, conducted during the witching hours between Saturday and Sunday once a month.  Cleaning shelves was also a chore I'd rather forget.

I'll never forget the people I worked with though and I often wonder what they're doing today.  I wonder if they're as sad as I?  It's the end of an era.  Twenty years from now, kids will read about video rentals with puzzlement, the same way I view drive-in movies and sock-hops in the 1960's.  I guess that's just a normal part of getting old.