What Store That No Longer Exists Reminds You of Christmas?

I think it's safe to say that when we become adults we simply do not enjoy Christmas the way we did as kids.

Obviously, that's not to say that we stop enjoying Christmas. We all have traditions we cherish.

But it's just a different approach in childhood. All the magic.

One of my favorite memories is Christmas shopping in downtown Owensboro right after the Christmas Parade, which always occurred on Saturday mornings when I was young.

And then, when the parade was finished, we'd head across the street into Anderson's Department Store.

See, our parade "perch" was that concrete wall across from Anderson's (now the museum).

And, for me and my sister, Anderson's was like the "gateway" to downtown. You'd go through the store and come out on 2nd Street where all the other stores were.

Then we'd make a day of it.

I remember Mom needing to get her parking ticket validated--a requirement back in the day to park in that lot.

What's funny to me is how much I enjoyed Anderson's because it had NO TOY DEPARTMENT.

When I was a kid, visiting stores that didn't have toys just seemed like a colossal waste of time.

But Anderson's was different somehow. I'm old enough to remember it vividly.

There was the waiting area halfway between the first and second floors where you look out the big picture windows down onto the sales floor. It also had those really cool old wooden phone booths.

There was the gift-wrapping department on the second floor and all those fur coats up on the third floor.

And I can't forget the elevator operator.

YES, an elevator operator.

Anderson's closed in 1988, one of the last great "old school" department stores like you'd see in old movies.

Maybe that was it. Maybe Anderson's reminded me of Macy's from the movie Miracle on 34th Street.

Whatever the reason, I still get those great waves of Christmas nostalgia when I drive or walk by the museum downtown because it used to be Anderson's.

And Anderson's was my Miracle on 34th (I mean 2nd) Street.