Sears

The Sears store on the east side is closing very soon. There was another Sears store downtown, but that one closed years ago. I didn't realize it until I heard it on the news, but our downtown Sears store was the first retail Sears store.

I haven't shopped at Sears in years, but I remember getting their catalogs as a child. We loved when the new Sears catalog arrived! In grade school, my mom would tell us to go through the catalog and pick out what clothes we wanted for school. We'd mark our choices, and before we knew it, the would be folded and waiting for us on our beds. When the Sears Christmas catalog came, we kids would spend hours and hours and hours pouring over the pages, marking the toys we wanted our parents and Santa to bring. (Did we think Santa shopped at Sears?!!)

I feel bad that an American icon like Sears is closing, especially now that I know the first Sears store was in my hometown. There's this weird east/west thing in my town. As a westsider, I rarely shop at any store on the east side of town (except for you, Hobby Lobby ... you still have my heart!). If Sears had had a store on the west side, I'm sure I would have shopped there, at least occasionally. Even though I didn't shop there, I'm really sorry to see them go.