R.I.P. Blockbuster, welcome button-pushers

Netflix seems to be this microcosm for the current direction our generation is headed-a business that has completely boiled home entertainment down to a push of the button, eliminating the Friday night video store stroll. I'll be honest, I miss the video store. There is something nostalgic about walking in, pj's-clad and perusing the covers of 80's horror films, the cheesy ones of course-with a busty cartoon like heroine being clutched by some variation of a swamp creature. You grab 5 or 6 videos, dates ranging from new release to an old favorite you loved as a kid. Or a classic like "City Slickers 2: The legend of Curly's Gold". Then you play the "narrow it down" game with your partner..."what mood are you in? I feel like laughing, let's get a comedy." And you end up with 'American History X' somehow.

Of course, the fat kid in me rejoices silently when you proceed to checkout, considering there was always a very strategically placed stand of movie theater favorites. Sour patch kids, red vines, and even un-popped popcorn equipped with a round cardboard drum (which makes all the difference in the world of snacking). Well played, video-store-candy-marketing-personnel. Well played. I’ll even venture to say, I miss the panic of getting the video back in time. Late fees are so underrated these days.

Point being, it was a social thing that required you to get your lazy butt off the couch and put some damn pants on! And do something about that hair while you're at it. It required enough desire and interest to actually "go". Convenience makes discerning between what we’re passionate about and what is just easily accessible, difficult. Would I still watch Baseball if I couldn’t get it streamed to me via 8 different media outlets? Or if Andre Ethier's uniform didn't fit like a glove? But I guess that's neither here nor there. Today, everything we ever want or need is at our fingertips, and as a result our attention spans, our patience level and our appreciation for things are dwindling. I feel it every day, every time something on my blackberry is downloading at non-lightning speed. Oh, and screw you BBM, for perpetuating people's impatience so much, they can even see whether you've read their message or not. It’s a shame. Sometimes I wish I was around for my parents’ generation when things were much more simplified and it was easier to be content. But I get bored just thinking about it.