Tom and I get off the I-15 at 9th South when we return from work. It makes more sense that we get off at 6th South since we live downtown, but there is all that merging and chaos. It's also an aesthetic, nostalgic decision. We turn right onto 8th South and drive past Sears, the ghost of which remains, still open, but dying. It is not the same Sears from our childhood. The windows are walled over giving it a bunker appearance. Why would anyone close up a window?Yesterday, we said we'd like to return to that old Sears that had the farm store at the west end and had a full parking lot. Inside the farm store entrance stood a life-size mannequin of a horse with a horse hair mane and tail and a saddle on its back. Children loved that horse. Off to the right were the baby chicks. As a child I was both thrilled and frightened of escalators, so a visit to Sears was like hitting an amusement park.
At Christmas, Sears had THE animated Christmas window--a large corner window at State Street and 8th South. It had Santa Claus and elves, trains and other toys all moving about and glowing at night. Families stood three deep in front of those windows.
I should like to be nine and go to Sears with my dad, hold his hand, stand in front of the electrical tools and tape, an aisle that smelled like he did. I'd like to see his face as he hunted through items to find the exact thing he was looking for, maybe whistling softly in concentration.
I look down at my sturdy Buster Brown shoes and tap out a little dance.
Beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI loved this.
ReplyDeleteMy dad sold shoes at the Sears when he was coaching at Granite High. It was always a treat to go there to see him. We'd buy popcorn and a goldfish. What a great store that was.
I meant to say THAT Sears. That very, very Sears.
ReplyDeleteYou've created a very nostalgic narrative here Louise. I've never shopped much at Sears though I spent hours ruminating over their Christmas catalogue. We didn't have a television and during those long prairie winters it filled many hours. We didn't have running water and had an outhouse my father would move every few years. I'm not kidding. It was 1960 but my first five years, I lived like a pioneer. The Sears catalogue introduced me to the 20th century. Sometimes my sister and I would make paper dolls from the models, but mostly I would create a wardrobe and furnish a household that didn't look like my Grandfather's sod house.
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