While living in the States, and following the death of DVD, I mainly stuck to Amazon. I never browsed, only went to directly what I wanted, purchased it, and waited for the arrival. Which was always a nice thing. I'd usually forgotten about it and it was like opening a little gift to myself. But I still longed for the shelf.
Yesterday, while in Dublin, I popped into IFI shop and later Tower Records on Dawson street. I was instantly hit with a deep numbing boredom. As I drifted down the isles, like an unemployed Dad, in search of something, I don't know what, I had nothing in mind, I was suddenly sleepy, foggy, a haze crept over me and I had to leave lest I melt into the tiles forgotten and dissolved. It seems those days are gone. I don't have the time or energy anymore. Even going through my 1000 DVDs that I left behind, packed in my parents attic, something I couldn't wait to rediscover, I just haven't been that bothered. They're still in the boxes, I might take them out. I'm half thinking of donating to a school or something. Whereas before I could spend the entire day taking them out, dusting them off, and rearranging them in order of Genre, which included finding seamless blends from one genre to another, going from War to Dystopian Future via Come And See - Children of Men - 1984, and so on.
It's weird. It's a part of me that changed in the last few years that I didn't even realized had done so until I was faced with it, until I walked through the door, excited, reunited, and thought, "Oh, actually, I'm not that bothered..."
I think it has to do with time, and being very aware of how precious it is. I've other things I need to do, and sadly, browsing is no longer one of those things. So RIP the Browse, you were a good friend, but life has marched on and I must say goodbye.
