A Sign of our Times

Borders is one of those stores that I will not likely know how much I'll miss until they're all gone.  I've always preferred Barnes and Noble for their better coffee and more plush armchairs, not to mention what I always thought was a better selection of books. But, I have meandered into a Borders or two, and luckily for me, most of the ones in my local area are still open.  But, like many other stores that died slow and tortured deaths (like Circuit City), it's really only a matter of time before they're all distant memories.  In my mall, there's a Border's Express, and every time I walk by it, I hear Meg Ryan's voice in my head as she's lamenting about the future of her once charming bookstore in "You've Got Mail."  She writes to Tom Hanks's character that it'll eventually be something really sad, like a Baby Gap.   I wonder if the one in the mall will turn into a Yankee Candle or one of those stores dedicated entirely to hats and caps.

It can't be helped.  I'm thankful that the digital book trend hasn't killed all the bookstores.  I'm sad about the fallen victims, but I can appreciate the sense of humor of those responsible for the picture above and the compilation found in this site.

Here are a few of my other favorites:

 

All humor aside, for now, we should appreciate the still existing bookstores, patronize them, happily consume their caffeinated drinks, and curl up in the plush armchairs with a book plucked off the new-in-hardback shelf.  We don't know how much longer we'll have to enjoy them.