The Land Never Dies Though Appearance Constantly Changes

                “The land never dies” is the last line spoken Lynn Redgrave’s character, Charlotte to her grandson in the 1978 mini-series “Centennial”.  The series is a time period piece about settlers in Colorado during the 1700’s.  Roland had watched the movie shortly after watching a documentary featuring the rise and fall of Blockbuster video. 

https://www.netflix.com/title/81354557 

I remember Blockbuster.  I remember going to the video store to find videos when they were available on both VHS and Beta.  I remember the days long before Redbox and Nextflix.  I had never thought of the details or evolution.  I remember going for VHS – I don’t remember ever having checked out DVDs.  But there is still evidently one location in which renting DVDs is still a commodity.  

https://www.businessinsider.com/blockbuster-survives-in-bend-oregon-2018-8

Bend, Oregon is home to the very last Blockbusters.  Wow. 

I remember things in my childhood that Jenna will never experience or relate to.  Video rentals weren’t even part of my childhood but rather my teenage years.  Patrick had saved up his money to purchase a VCR.  Eight hundred dollars in cash.  Somewhere there exists a photo of Kayla wearing headphones and holding eight one-hundred dollar bills. Shocking! I know. First VCR and the remote was not even wireless.

My aunt and uncle had also purchased a VCR.  It was around Christmas time and they had gone to the video store to look for a family movie.  It was before Blockbusters and the selection was thin to start with – but especially during the holidays.  With little choice left (nothing Christmas themed at that) they settled on an early version of Gullivar’s Travels.  Oh, what a treat that must have been.  

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076119/?ref_=tt_mv_close

I don’t remember renting so much as recording.  Patrick had recorded a televised copy of Capricorn One.  This scene had been cut  to make room for sponsers' ads.  

https://forgottenfilmcast.wordpress.com/2012/01/25/capricorn-one/

Though the scene may seem dull on its own, it’s a pretty crucial piece for the viewers to fully comprehend the scenes that follow, and thus Patrick would pause – holding the remote and wiring at a specific angle so that even with the wire intact, the VCR could read the remote signals.   

I honestly don't even remember the brand though
it probably wasn't this photo I found on pintrest

He would then explain the scene that had been cut out.  

Eventually we did join the novelty of going to the video store and looking at a huge assortment of shelves filled with movie titles.  We rented movies.  We physically left the house and loaded ourselves into the car to drive to a location which rented movies – now a nostalgic thing of the past.  Something that my children will never understand as they had grown up with cable and a variety of channels and not just the three that were available when I was a kid.

They don’t understand the inconvenience of the phone cord getting tangled as they are all younger than the cell phone.  They’ve grown up in an “instant gratification” society where as I was only introduced to the door not long before they came along.  I remember a world before cell phones, before ipods, cable, DVDs or even VCR.  My mom remembers when it was rare to have one TV – let alone one for each room.  I remember black and white TVs, huge monitors and TV repair.  Today is a “throw-away” society which has taken away the professions of so many who had learned the trade of repairing shoes, televisions, vacuums, cameras, etc.  

Today technological equipment is considered out dated the minute it’s purchased.  Anything over two years is considered a relic even if there’s no damage to said item.  Take my first Doro for instance.  I would still use it if the company would allow for it to connect to the towers – but maybe they really don’t have the control.  IT WAS A DECENT PHONE!   NONE of the replacements have been.  It’s as if when my Doro was disconnected so was my life (it was the beginning of 2020 after all)

It’s nice to know that somewhere out there the nostalgia is not completely gone.  Bend is nearly a four hour drive – not that we’d go there to rent movies.  It’s now a historic landmark.  People will take selfies in front of “the last Blockbusters on earth”.  When you come to Oregon you’ll want to visit Crater Lake – but hey, why not just pop over to Bend.  It’s not that far. 

https://www.mediapolisjournal.com/2018/11/old-tucson-overview/

The land may never die – but it certainly changes – though not on its own.  Men change the appearance.  They build empires and empires get torn down.  Evolution changes.  Landscape changes.  But the land is always there.

Neumann Developments