The Day They Knocked Down the Palais

Okay, Kinks lyrics aren't exactly happening here, but the emotions behind them are. My local movie theater is for sale. It's possible someone will buy it, but from what everyone was saying, it's unlikely. This isn't a supergreat time to start a cinema business. One could argue that in a few months, maybe even a few years, that could change. I have my doubts. And one way or the other, I find myself mourning.

When my friends and I were in middle school, we'd go to the movies a lot. Lots of parents dropping off little geek children. I was deeply in puppylove with one of the boys and so the movie situation was always fraught with that mess. Even still, it was glorious.

In high school, we would still go see movies, but the bigger draw was the video store connected to the theater. We'd get the usual movies, of course, but we also got a lot of weird filthy stuff. We thought we were sophisticated and cool for seeing all of it. We weren't, but it felt that way.

My most recent positive memory from there was going to see Fury Road by myself. I ate all the candy and all the popcorn and had just the best damned time. It was in the year following Bloodhell, Cancer, and Hysterectomy plus Other Hospital Visits. Seeing that movie by myself felt like a triumph. 

Anyway, like I said, I don't know if this is the end of it. Maybe someone will buy it and fix its various issues. I hope so. If not, that's one more placemarker from my childhood that will be gone. 

Sometimes it feels like every spot that denoted my existence is going to disappear.