Since joining Retro Junk, this is my first article posted for your reading pleasure. Based on the strength of this article will I pen more thoughts on various childhood memories. Enjoy!

Born in the early 80s, I fondly remember my parents taking me to the local video store to rent a few movies for the whole family. It was always a treat to go row by row and search for a hidden gem among the numerous vhs cases that were so strategically placed on the shelf.

As I grew older, I couldn't wait for my dad to take me to the video store to rent a WWF wrestling tape. Would I go for Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant or see who wins the Royal Rumble? Should I take a quick glance at the horror section to see if there was a Tales from the Darkside just waiting to scare me at night? Of course no trip to the video store would be complete without carefully selecting a NES game. I certainly made sure to take advantage of certain deals that if I rent 3 movies, I get the 4th movie for free.

Looking around the video store, I knew I wasn't the whole kid who loved this place. No matter what city or state I was in, I could always rest easy knowing there was a mom and pop run movie store conveniently located that offered everything I needed.

And now those days are over. Every movie store has run out of business with the stores closed and vacant. Ghosts of distant memories from the past lurk among the rows.

What was once a favorite past time in America where families of all ages could go to the store to find something for the whole family to watch is now dead. You see, video stores offered an opportunity for people to get out of the house, rent something entertaining, and spend time together watching it at home. All that is left is some commercial RedBox offering a few heartless movies that I don't know how anyone has the stomach to watch.

Like all of the other authors have said in previous articles, I too long for those lost, but not forgotten memories where everything was much simpler back then. Unfortunately our children will never understand the joy it felt to go to the local video store just like they will never feel the excitement of dropping by a comic book store or a baseball card shop.

All we can do now is think...and remember.