Farewell, My Friend

Borders is going out of business. I went to my hometown Borders for the last time when I was visiting a few weeks ago.

The manager had left a goodbye note of sorts at the front door. In it, he mentioned that the store had opened in November 1990. I was 15 years old. I honestly can’t think of any specific books that I bought at the store; I just recall many an afternoon and evening sitting at the café with Daisy and Marge et al., philosophizing about life and perusing books and magazines.

The last book I bought there: Strangely enough, in the bargain section, I found a hardcover copy of A Lion Called Christian, my recent obsession. Kind of spooky…

I am sure I will be making visits to the Boston Borders up until the bitter end. But yesterday was my first visit.

There is still quite a bit of inventory. I bought a travel memoir that I had just read about in a magazine, A Walk Across America. It’s the story of a young man who walked across America in the 1970s. One of my dreams is to drive cross country someday. I hope it comes true.

I will miss Borders. I fear for the future of bookstores, I truly do.