Musings: Here's a store that made ordinary days special

From the onset, it should be noted that I am not what you call a “shopper.” But I do wax nostalgic for Sears, Roebuck & Co. It was a store for people like me. Every time I put my hand on a Craftsman tool, walk on my treadmill, or use my Sears hand truck to transport a five-gallon water bottle, memories of Sears cross my mind. Sure, we have other stores today, but Sears had it all.

As a boy, my father would take us on a regular trip to the Sears store in Hempstead. I remember coming home with a massive box of detergent for our family of seven and a can of Weatherbeater paint. On other occasions, he would go to purchase a new Craftsman tool, and on one occasion, even to return one. After all, Craftsman tools were guaranteed for life.

When we went to the Hicksville Sears, it was usually for automotive items: a set of tires, new brakes or perhaps a DieHard battery. Nonetheless, the whole gang would come along for the ride. It was an opportunity for Mom to browse the household goods and perhaps update the family’s wardrobe. It was a wondrous store with plenty of items for boys and girls of all ages.

Certain Sears purchases seem to be embedded deep in my mind to this day. I will never forget my two brothers shouting excitedly that Dad had bought me a special gift. I went downstairs to see what they were talking about. My dad handed me a Ted Williams fishing rod in a brown cylindrical case. “Dad,” I asked, “what is this for? It’s not my birthday or anything.” He responded, “I just thought you might enjoy it.” I still have it today, Dad, and I treasure it.

Let’s fast-forward to a memorable moment that occurred when my wife and I were Christmas shopping. We were having a tough time finding a gift for our three married children. As we meandered through the holiday display, we came across three beautiful Nativity sets. We still see them proudly displayed every Christmas Eve.

The memories of a lifetime of Sears shopping could go on and on, but one particular experience tops the list. I was doing my last-minute Christmas shopping for my wife in the Lands’ End department of the Garden City Sears. I thought she might like a full-length quilted coat for those cold winter mornings. Not knowing which jacket to choose, I decided to try one on. A young saleswoman spotted me and gleefully said, “That looks lovely on you, sir, but do you realize that you’re in the women’s department?” I timidly removed the coat.

Today, Sears is just a fond memory of a wonderful place to shop. Oddly enough, more than ever, I’m in the Garden City building that housed Sears. You see, it now has offices for almost all of our doctors. Little do they know that while there I’m thinking about a can of paint, a pool table, a backyard patio set or a fully lit Christmas tree.

Ironically, this modern medical megastore still reflects the Sears slogan: “Here you can find everything.”

— Thomas F. Schenkel, Garden City