Friday, February 14, 2003

It seems I’m prone to

It seems I’m prone to being emotional today for some reason.  I saw again on my way in this morning, as I see every morning now, that FAO Schwartz’ Union Square store is closing soon.  It’s not that I ever shopped there. I’m not their target market.  My toys come from places with blacklight rooms, or large kitchen or electronics departments.  Or other more mature locales.  When I have to get a toy, I admit with disappointment in myself that I usually got to Toys Art Us on a search-and-recover type of mission - quick insertion, quick extraction, no magic of Jeppeto or the elves’ workshop…

But regardless - I’ve been in that FAO Schwartz and it’s a kid’s wet dream, huge animated toys and dolls and cartoon characters chasing and goosing each other up a four-floor escalator, bright colors and recorded choruses of munchkins singing preschool classics - the place was awash with stimulations for the juvenile.  Plus next door was the euphoneous “FAO Sweets.” And now it’s all going to close. If I were a kid I’d be hysterical with impotent outrage. I’m sure it’s a well-reasoned business decision.  Maybe that’s the problem I’m having with it.