I know I just posted a new blog yesterday, but can I share this anyway? Today an old friend (Theresa, pictured above) sent me this photo and wished me Merry Christmas, and it really took me by surprise. I haven't seen this (or her) in many, many years. And as close as we once were, we only talk now every couple years.
This is when we both worked for Ames, shortly after they bought out Murphy's Mart. This was taken right after attending a Christmas party where I suspect we had a drink or two. Um... I wouldn't mind a sip now!
I have to say, Theresa was a very good friend. There was never any romantic interest, we were just good buddies. I loved her parents Carl & Mary Lou. They owned a video store (back before Blockbuster, when mom n' pop video stores were the norm) and we'd sit in the backroom of her parents business, eat microwave popcorn and watch the latest rentals. When you earn $4.15 an hour, that's a fun night out!
It's hard to believe that the summer after this photo was taken, I got the opportunity to move to Pittsburgh and go back to school. My first place in the city was a bit run down and Theresa's parents gave me a dozen or so movie posters to decorate the place.
Theresa came up to visit me in the fall of '86, then we never saw each other in person again.
Anyway, I regret posting those last two selfies and would much rather see my old friend & younger self instead. Thanks again for letting me share.
Merry Christmas, Everyone
It's good to connect with old friends from our young days. An old friend, all the way back to first grade, reconnected with me a few years ago. We keep up on the doings of old classmates. Just recently he called to tell me that the widow of a favorite teacher had passed away at 96. We reminisced about her and the former teacher.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing dkzody--first grade, that's going pretty far back! I hope you're having a nice Christmas. :^)
DeleteMerry Christmas I like the way you write thank you
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas Orly, thank you 🙂
DeleteMerry Christmas Doug! Love the photo. You brought back some memories mentioning Ames (did you mean department store?) and Blockbuster. Who would ever have guessed all the changes ahead for us, and for technology. Christmas is a time for reminiscing; appreciation for the past and hope for the future. All the best to you Doug in 2026.
ReplyDeleteCarole
Thanks Carole, Merry Christmas! So nice what you wrote here, and yes this was Ames Dept store. It was like a real family there, I can't believe this was 40 years ago. How did we survive without our current technology 🙂
DeleteLooks like two nice Christmas hams there! I hope your Christmas was a nice one.
ReplyDeleteHaha thanks Debby. 🙂
DeleteWhat a great photo!!! Both of my daughters worked at video stores in high school. The oldest daughter worked at Mooovies (it had a cow theme) and my youngest daughter worked at Cindy's Video on the other side of town. I do know it was robbed by a dumbhead one Saturday.
ReplyDeleteNow you got me started. I am able to read old newspapers from my small town online. I looked it up. Her high school friend was working when a guy in a ski mask came in with a pellet gun and took all the money (about $100). When he left, she called my daughter and I called the police. Teenagers. He went to a gas station next and someone across the street saw him put on a ski mask and called the police. They got him coming out the door with $600.
And I recognized the name. It is a former co-worker's ex-husband's brother (I told you I live in a small town). He comes from a family of idiots and was trying to get rent money without working. Enough of an idiot that the paper reports he told his cell mates he had drugs hidden under his kitchen sink in his apartment and they told the jail staff. He was found guilty of all charges, but I can't find the article about sentencing. The video store closed since the staff of young high school girls who clerked there were too frightened to go to work.
Sorry to be such a Debbie Downer. I do love the photo!!!
Found it. 14 years. Big deal.
DeleteWhew! That's quite a story but I enjoyed your own look back, Miss Merry. Thanks for sharing it and the nice words. I hope you had a nice Christmas. 🙂
DeleteSorry Dug. I thought about it and what a crappy story to share when you posted such a cute and joyful photo. How nice of Theresa to share it with you!!!
DeleteYou have nothing to apologize for, I enjoy your comments as much as I do your blog Miss Merry! Thank you for the nice words here and I sure do hope you're feeling better!
DeleteI'm part of a FB group of my former home town and I'm always amazed at how few people I know. But it has been years since I've had contact with old acquaintances or co-workers. Clearly, you are a nice guy!
ReplyDeleteLove the idea of hanging out at the movie rental place enjoying the new releases. That would have been fun!
Thank you Maebeme, I was just lucky to be friends with someone like Theresa, she's nicer than me :^) And yes I do miss those early movie rental days--I may have to do a blog about this :^)
DeleteWhat an adorable photo! That was thoughtful of Theresa to send it. It's always interesting when someone from our past contacts us; it brings back all those memories.
ReplyDeleteThank you Margaret, you're very kind! And yes, this was a nice surprise :^) I hope you had a nice Christmas, looking forward to reading about it :^)
DeleteThat is a cute picture, Dug! I love it when someone has a picture of my past that I've never seen. It brings back those days... which we may have forgotten as the years roll on. I keep a poem taped to my shelf near my laptop that is called "Around the corner" by Henson Towne. It's about losing track of friends as time goes on. I think I've posted it before, but may again soon. It hits home.
ReplyDeleteThank you Rian, you're very kind! I'm going to see if I can find your poem... I hope you are enjoying the holidays. 🙂
DeleteIt's a sweet picture, and I know you have always been a good friend to others, Doug. You have a good heart, and it shows.
ReplyDeleteMy gosh DJan, you are so nice. Thank you. ❤️🙂
DeleteHi Doug, what a great photo! Looks like you two were having a good time. I belong to a few Facebook groups from my hometown and have connected up with a few old friends. A year ago Chuck and I met up with some old high school friends, it was lovely. My brother was recently cleaning out some old photo albums and emailed me photos from my early 20’s. They were fun to see. Hope you had a nice Christmas Day.❤️
ReplyDeleteThanks Robin and that's so nice, meeting up with old friends l8ke that. I really want to do the same when I get these inflammation issues under control again. My Christmas day was pretty low-key, but that beats anything bad. I sure hope yours was nice, nice to hear aboutthephotos too .🙂❤️
DeleteThat’s a great pic. So much to unpack in this post. It’s great to see old friends. I had a group I hung out with in high school and college..both at Westminster and CMU…I remember Murphy turning into Ames..I think I prefer Murphy…Oakmont had a Murphys with a wooden floor where I would go to get records.. I was a senior in high school fall ‘86 and that was a really great Christmas..🎄 my sister’s friends’s parents had a ma and pa video rental shop also in Lower Burrell that I did a report on for my Business Law class in high school. They also gave out free popcorn..but the store is gone now…along with VHS tapes..sigh
ReplyDeleteBeth
Thanks for sharing Beth, I enjoyed reading this. And like you, I definitely preferred Murphy's to Ames. We had a giant-sized Murphy's Mart outside town (where I worked 7 years) but a smaller GC Murphy's on Main St that had been there 75 years and had wooden floors. You know, it was Ames who bought out Murphy's, Hills & Zayres--and then went bankrupt with lousy business practices. So to heck with them!
DeleteYay! I loved Hills and Zayres. I bought a comforter from zayres at Allegheny Center Mall for my dorm room right before I left for Westminster summer 87
DeleteBeth