Might be cursed (two bittersweet building stories and general gushing about worn-in objects)
I know twice might just be a coincidence, but I seem to be really good at falling in love with buildings who are soon to be demolished or heavily remodeled.
I think it's the charm of an object being "lived-in". I love seeing use... scratches, fingerprints, a worn down spot where people always brush up against it... It adds charm and personality. Like the old skee-ball machine on the boardwalk. Her paint is chipped from the salty air and the patrons, yet she's ever eager for another game. She's a hard worker. I just want to give her a hug and tell her how much she's appreciated and how beautiful she is despite, no, because of her state of decay. It's a symbol of love.
If you know me, you know about my bicycle partner, Roy Sixspeed. He's a grumpy old man who I found on the side of the road. From the wear, you could tell that he was well loved, and then eventually forgotten in a dark shed to gather cobwebs. I'm not sure what the story is, but I know I fixed him up gave him a second life, and now he happily joins me on all sorts of adventures. We spent Valentine's Day together at our favorite restaurant. I hope to tune him up this month too.
...I got sidetracked. Onto the story about the buildings! The first one I believe I posted about here already, so it'll be a short recap of the situation.
Around a year ago, I got news that my favorite antique store was moving locations. In its place would be a car dealership. The building was amazing, an old construction with red bricks, winding hallways, hand painted murals, and a view of the trains, who would pass by and shake the building. I loved spending time here, and it was a bit of a slow burn, but on the day I heard the news, it struck me just how much she meant to me. I took one last trip down, ran my hands across her brick facade, took a trip through all of her winding rooms, and said goodbye.
I haven't been to the new location nor the dealership, and frankly, I can't bring myself to. Neither one is fully her anymore. I miss her often.
This year, another one of my favorite buildings got a death date: some time in October. My favorite building in town is this storage facility/consignment shop built in the 1850s. Same deal, nice brickwork, stale air, big brass doors, secret passages, and a strangely comforting allure. I have a type, as we've established.
But I'd been going to see this building for a few years now, but on my most recent visit, I got the chance to go into the employee area. I was trying on some clothes and they didn't have a changing room, so they sent me in the catacombs to find a bathroom. It felt almost intimate, like he was trying to reassure me that it'd be okay. There was no light, save the old, dim incandescent lamps interspersed along the walls. This part was underground, and the stairs went further down still, I don't know how far... There had to have been so much history here. I'm going to miss him a lot. I should be able to get over before the demo happens, but if not, I'll miss him dearly.
Look at me, pouring my heart out at midnight again... it's been a weird week. Hope everyone is doing well.
