Walked through the local mall today for the first time since Macy’s closed their doors. The south end of the parking lot is empty and the halls are eerily quiet.Once upon a time, big city department stores seemed like a magical dreamland to this hick from Purdue who graduated college to work in Chicago. I took an entry level job in an advertising agency only one block away from Marshall Field’s. Heaven! I could barely make my rent, and certainly couldn’t afford their clothes, but it was fun to enter those revolving doors , look up into the vaulted ceilings, smell the exotic fragrances, and see the latest fashions, Then, I’d get out my sewing machine and copy those expensive dresses as best I could.
A few years later, I landed a job that sent me on a trip to New York City. Couldn’t wait to get to Macy’s. It seemed years ahead of Marshall Field’s, and the epitome of sophistication. Then, fate knocked me around for a few years. I got a divorce and landed back in the ingrown, Southern Indiana hometown I’d always wanted to escape. But I got a good job which I needed to support three kids, so I was stuck in River City. Then, lo and behold, Macy’s came to Indiana, and that made me feel as if a part of my old life had returned. I wasn’t stuck in the boonies; I could shop at Macy’s!
The fun of department store shopping has gone the way of the internet, and now, with Macy’s gone, retail therapy is never going to be the same. Farewell, Macy’s, and thanks for the memories.
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