Dreaming of Department Stores by Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein
A few years ago we took a short vacation break that included three nights in London. But where to stay? My husband mentioned hotel names to me that the supplier had offered. I couldn’t help but be intrigued with the name "Selfridge’s". After all, wasn’t that the name of the biggest department store in London? I remembered it being equal to Macy’s in New York City. I said, "Let’s go with that one." And we did.
I was hoping the hotel was close to the department store but I never dreamed it would be so close! It was literally outside the back door of the store — about 50 feet from all the giant food halls that are a part of the store. I was shocked! This was a dream come true. I could wake up and go for breakfast by roaming food halls that brought in delicacies from around the world, and I could stop there after touring and have a snack or lunch, again from anywhere in the world!
Suddenly old memories of my love of department stores floated to mind. I remembered going with my mother to Malley’s in New Haven when I was a young child. I remembered my anticipation as we got off the trolley and neared this glorious store. It was full of giant wrought iron elevators with mahagony trim and shiny floora and attendants in white gloves and uniforms that took you to each floor. And then there were pneumatic tubes that ran overhead. I loved the sounds of those tubes rushing money and receipts back and forth. I also loved standing in the elevator as the attendant named all the wonderful possible purchases available on each floor! Of course, I was particularly interested in children’s clothes and toys! Yes, let me off at those floors! I couldn’t wait. Once, when I was about 4 I had a dream about Malley’s. I dreamed that I was in first grade and the classroom was a Malley’s elevator. There we were with little desks and chairs, sitting in the elevator. I loved that dream even though my mother told me that it wasn’t possible to go to school in an elevator.
Later, as I grew older, we moved to Bridgeport and then it was another department store. Reid’s had a lunch counter and my mother always took me for a tuna fish sandwich and/or coffee ice cream. I even got my hair cut there and the toy department was endless. My real dream was to sleep overnight in the toy department! I would hide out with all those wonderful Alexander dolls. This was a dream that went unfulfilled in childhood.
So, here I was as an adult — almost living out an old dream. And live it I did, except instead of tuna fish I ate delicacies from Thailand, and as I lingered over my cafe latte I had a chance to watch people from all over the world pass by. Instead of toys I shopped for cosmetics! It was a lovely experience. Those early memories layered themselves so nicely on top of my ‘adult’ vacation making a three-day hotel stay really something special.
It is a few years later and I can still see all those wonderful rooms filled with gourmet foods in my head. I wish I was back in London, or I should say, I wish I was back in the department store for a few hours today.
Have you ever had something positive come around again? Perhaps the shape had changed but the essence was almost the same? If you have, can you share it with us as I did? Or if you can’t think of anything in particular, try to remember several wishes of childhood and think about how they would reinvent themselves now. This can be fun to do and can even lead to a determined effort to finally make an old wish or desire come true.
And interestingly enough, much to my amazement, I had a great department store experienc in Monmouth County the other day. I went to a Sear’s near us, where they had a Land’s End department. Again, to my amazement, (actually I never expect much from local stores, often having run into indifferent staff and a lack of atmosphere) I was waited on by a charming young man. He helped me for one hour while we looked at the stock on hand, and also ordered out of the catalog. He was friendly, humourous, and polite. He even walked me to the department I needed to go to and introduced me to the salesman there, who was also very polite and helpful. Although the building was not full of the wonderful noises from the tubes overhead, as Malley’s had been, or the wonderful smells of food as in London, I was drawn back into old feelings of comfort and delight in being in a department store. I felt as if I had taken a little vacation. It was all because someone was really nice to me! And of course, because I have encouraged myself to review and enjoy old pleasant memories!
Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein, www.enchanteself.com
