Well, when I went foodshopping today I found out that another of my childhood haunts is being ripped down.
A little 2 screen movie theater called SPRING MALL THEATHER has been shuttered for probably the last 10 years. I always hoped maybe somebody would buy it and reopen it.
But today I see they have the Bull Dozers parked outside, ready to roll. And the back doors were torn off and there was wood, and rubbish and such blocking it from the inside from top to bottom.
When I was a kid that area was all still field. My grandparents owned a lot of the land and my Grandma and I would walk through the field to see movies like Herbie the Love Bug and stuff.
As I sat there looking through the rear door I could so clearly remember sitting and staring at that door from the OPPOSITE side while watching a movie with my Grandma (it was an emergency exit).
The big curtain that used to hide the screen until they started the movie even appears to be hanging out the back door, torn and tattered. I might go back tonight and try to cut off a peice for myself.
If I were rich I'd buy that place today, clean it up and turn it into a cool new movie house, even if I lost money at it, I wouldn't care.
FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, that's where I first saw STAR WARS
Now the fields are gone, there's retail businesses everywhere. My grandpa's huge lot is sectioned off into much smaller lots and fancy homes have been built.
Even though it was shuttered and dilapitated, I always felt good driving past Spring Mall Theater. It was like a flag in the ground that said "This is still my land". Now it's not. There's nothing left. Like so many of the places I used to enjoy
