• by Seana Mulcahy , October 17, 2005

I saw a bunch of headlines this weekend in my local newspaper. They all pointed to the fact that the era of the VCR was dead. I guess this was something I hadn't really thought of. Perhaps I forgot about the VCR altogether.

However, let's pause for a moment and pay homage to our dear ole friend who treated us well for many years: the VCR. We think back and remember when our pal first came out. We all wanted one. As kids we'd rush to the family that housed this most desired piece of technology. We'd make nights of sitting, laughing, eating popcorn in front of it. We'd pause for moments as the phone rang, and resume where we left off after we hung up. It amazed us every time. We had the power of entertainment at our disposal. And we didn't have to beg for money and rides to and from the local movie theatre.

Ahh, the good ole days. We'd bump into our friends rushing into the video store on weekends, all of us hoping we'd get the latest releases before they were all rented. We'd get tapes for holidays from the big spenders in the family. I think back on how many times I watched "E.T." and "Star Wars," then grew up to the world of "Animal House," "St. Elmo's Fire," "The Breakfast Club"...the list goes on.

Thinking of you, VCR, brings back a sea of emotion both good and bad. You comforted me and provided me company when I was sick and spent days on the couch. We laughed, we cried, we laughed harder, we hid behind pillows knowing we'd be scared out of our minds --all in front of you, VCR.

I remember the bad times, too. After a busy week, I asked to have friends over and watch videos. At the store, we excitedly picked out a few faves and went to the counter. After I'd shown her my precious card, the woman behind the counter scowled and said the most-feared phrase: "Do you know you have $15 in late charges, Seana?" I gasped, feeling my mother's evil eye sear the back of my neck. So in true Seana nature, I put the dimples and smile into overdrive and promised the lady we'd bring back the other movie tomorrow. Of course I had to use about a week's worth of allowance to pay for everything.

You'd have thought I would have learned my lesson when I became an adult. Nope. Just about every time I rented a movie, I sent it back late. Some times I never even watched the bloody thing at all.

You challenged me, oh VCR. I'm sorry we grew apart as I grew up. My life was far too busy to think of going to the rental store before it closed, picking out a selection organized alphabetically by genre under the fluorescent lights, getting distracted and always drawing a blank. Even when I switched to DVD I often thought of you; you were my foundation.

But I digress, dear VCR, you served us well. And don't worry, your legacy has made us want video on demand. We promise we will continue to fast forward, rewind, pause, and play over and over again. Rest in peace.