Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

I found a tin of shoe polish that still had that familiar though very faded Bradlees price sticker on it. There were so many stores in our past.

Sears Roebuck and Company used to be in that big concrete building on Mass Avenue just past Porter Square which is now owned by Lesley University. The news of Sears’ closing is just another blast from the past that will soon just be a memory. We are actually still using a Sears Kenmore washing machine that my parents bought over 40 years ago. Honest! The dryer just bit the dust last month. OK let’s all join together and say “They don’t make them like that anymore.”

Sears joins the ranks of Bradlees, Zayre and Lechmere Sales as stores we grew up with that are now gonzo.

Years ago (the 80’s), I used to sing at The Alewife Restaurant which is now Christopher’s in Porter Square. The staff of Sears used to hang there. They were a nice bunch and we had lots of laughs. I wonder if any of those folks rose up in the Sears ranks. I wish them all well.

I bought lots of stuff at that Sears in Porter Square, mainly because it was easy to get to. My mother bought me uncomfortable, baggy wool pants at Sears. (I guess Anderson-Little in Medford was out of embarrassing dress pants!) My dad bought his favorite recliner there. It was many years before it croaked.

Speaking of stores now gone, we have to mention Somerville Lumber (see my story in The Somerville Times’ archives). We had some work done on our house many years ago and the contractor bought all the light fixtures at Somerville Lumber. Of course, they were (the cheapest ones available) at the bottom of the quality and price list, but nevertheless they still lasted longer than the store itself. I wonder how long the crap we buy at Target will last?

Look around your home and I bet you will be able to find stuff bought at Bradlees, or Kresges or maybe even JM Fields. My dad bought our first color TV at Lechmere Sales, but his favorite store was Raymond’s in Boston. He bought my first electric guitar there. However, Dad swore by his Sears Die Hard Battery. It was a must. Everyone shopped at Sears.

It’s sad to see pieces of our childhood done away with. Locally, we just lost Johnny D’s, Murphy The Florist and La Hacienda Restaurant. Yes, we’ve replaced memories of dancing, flowers and pizza with condos, high rent housing and more condos. That’s progress, I guess. I’d rather have a delicious pepperoni, mushroom and pepper pizza (especially now that Medicare is paying for my cholesterol meds).

As the emotional bulldozer of change flattens another of our memories, I’m sure we all can find something in our homes to remind us of the latest victim. For me, it’s my Sears Kenmore dryer and a dusty humidifier in the cellar.

Thanks for the memories Sears, and you too, Roebuck. I hope all the displaced Sears employees find jobs.

We will survive the latest wave of change like we always do. Bostonian Florist on Highland Ave. can pick up the Murphys’ slack. And there’s lots of great pizza joints and live music venues around the city to ease the loss of Johnny D’s and La Hacienda. Sadly, Sears soon will also be just another memory. Sometimes progress stinks.