Can I Stand the Test of Time?

People say things will change no matter what. Or at least that is what I heard as they passed by me. I never really understood that saying though, what did that really mean? Does it apply to everything in this world? Or just man-made items like me.

I watch as everyone passes by me not so esthetic but, once they see me they smile. They look through my glass at the new sales that read “45% off the whole order.” and are eager to go in. They open my doors and are rejoiced at the sight they see. Shelves of countless items and good. Ranging from clothing racks full of different clothing items to fridges filled with frozen foods.

They hastily grab a cart and go through one lane and then another and another. Picking up the most flashy items they see and throwing it into the cart without a second thought. My lights blink with delight at how much I can change a person's mood.

But that was only one person, imagine the enjoyment when I see a whole family walk into the store.

A family of four with one son and one daughter pulled both their parents towards the glass, this time showing them the sign that said “The Ultimate New Toy of the Century!”

They begged and whined to the parents to let them go in and get that toy. The parents looked at each other, glancing at the sign that the previous man has looked at and smiled down at their children. Then all four of them proceeded to welcome themselves into me.

Although seeing a person's face glow up as they walk by me on a gloomy day makes me the upmost happy, there is this one day, no rather one month that just makes me feel like I am the best.

Black Friday and the Holiday month. Floods after floods of people come rushing to get the latest technology like the newly made mobile phone that just released last month. All the people end up clearing all my shelves in one fell swipe. My surplus amounts of goods were gone by the end of the Black Friday date.

There is no stopping there though, oh no can do. December comes strolling in right after. The holidays in the 1950s were crazy, to say the least.

Day after day people would come into my shop and end up coming out with hands full of bags. The Christmas themed designs that decorated me were breathtaking. I felt like a star in the whole neighborhood.

I would hear all the good, the bad, the scary, the enjoying conversations in the front of my shop.

One man looks at my store and says to me, “You will definitely stand the test of time. But I can’t be too sure about what would happen after that test?”

I didn’t know what he meant by that. But I inevitably forgot about what he had said later that day.

Years went on.

The 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s. All of those years my small store grew more and more. Instead of only being able to fill a small building I grew and matured into a bigger and denser three-story building.

More and more people came into me as all my goods became higher and higher quality.

Wealthier people came bragging in without any hesitation. I was at my prime in the ’80s. I was living in that time, splurging in the attention I was getting, I loved it.

But even if that was my prime the following years were not bad at all, only losing to my prime by a couple thousand dollars. All that was going to end soon though.

The ’90s and 00’s came along and something wasn’t right. My store was surrounded by other buildings just as big as me, maybe even bigger. I didn’t know what they were and people didn’t seem to be as excited to see those but nonetheless, they are growing more rapidly than me. I thought I have passed the test of time, I stayed relevant for 50+ years. What are these buildings and why are they growing and I came to a halt?

Let me tell you, even though I was this big and grand the 00’s didn’t seem to notice me at all. The wealthy started to come less and less, and the only people that came frequently were the middle class now. Not so bad, I don’t see any problem with that just yet.

2004, this was the year that made me wonder where the people were going? 2005, 2006, 2007. Counting the years pass by as the people who come in decreased more and more. 2008, 2009, and then the destined 2010, the marking of a new decade.

New decades new beginnings right? Well for the new companies and building yes that may be true. But what about me, the old building, the old store that leaves a big emotional attachment to the adults of this generation?

Nope, people stopped coming. Middle-class people slowly turned to the low class, the low class turned to the broke. My floors were breaking, my windows were turning brown on the corners, and my quality in stock was questionable. I stood the test of time. But I guess after that test I let it slip right out my hands.

People walk around me not paying a single glance. If they do they give me a look of disgust. Gloomy days seem so much gloomier as the rain hits my windows making me cry as I watch across the street a line that wraps all around in front of me on Black Friday morning it was 2011 now.

2012, 2013, 2014. Even those stores are starting to lose customers. It wasn’t just me now, it was the whole street people don’t come in us as often anymore. 2015, 2016, 2017 a little birdie told me that this online shipping store is taking all of our customers. I don’t know how to feel, whether to be sad, defeated, overwhelmed, or all of the above. But most of all I am devastated, devastated that I can’t do anything to help this. Nothing I do can fix me or infect shops in general.

The door of my store creaked making me laugh, I guess this is what that man meant. “You will definitely stand the test of time. But I can’t be too sure about what would happen after that test?” If only I prepared myself for this. If only I could do something. If only...