Isn’t it weird how the smell of something can bring back memories so clearly? We went by the 7-11 on Bristol tonight, and the smell of the air conditioning system (or whatever it was that provided that unique scent) made me think about how I used to hang out there all the time in the evenings when I was in school, playing Street Fighter 2 for hours instead of doing homework.
By the way, the store is owned by different people now, and it seems to be worse overall, including the removal of arcade games. The old owner guy (Bob) and most of the workers there used to be really cool, and I was there so often that I kind of got to know them. Even after I had left for New Zealand and came back to the store years later, Bob still remembered me as soon as I walked in. Some of the younger people I hung out and played the game with and got to know really provided me a good perspective that challenged a lot of the stereotypes that culture applied (and still does) to members of gangs, poor or “bad” neighborhoods, etc.