?Black Friday? is a recent popular term to describe the customer shopping frenzy that happens the day after Thanksgiving. Thousands upon thousands of aggressive shoppers invade department stores and other retail establishments to begin their Christmas shopping. Yesterday, which was Black Friday, I ventured out with my family to see the new movie, Bobby and my favorite fly fishing store in Richmond, Virginia.
As I approached my fly fishing shop, Fly Fishing the World in Richmond, Virginia to say hello to my dear friends at the shop, I was totally surprised to see that my favorite shop was closing and going out of business. I walked into the store to see my dear friends and they were not there. A gentleman who had a personality like a cook stove was sitting behind the desk. I addressed questions to the gentleman about the store?s closing. He made me feel very uncomfortable when I sought information about what had happened. He obviously must have been the owner of the store building.
I looked through the store. It was such an unusual sight. No rods on the wall to be sold, no fly fishing books, very few fly tying materials was the order of the room. I suddenly felt an incredible void within my being. This was the store where my renewed interest in fly fishing had taken place. Great friends like Harry Robertson, Alex Penland and Robert Thomas were always there to answer any questions with which this fly fishing youngster availed them. They were kind, gracious and always helpful. They were the owners and helpers who I will always be indebted to for reacquainting and renewing my bliss for fly fishing. As I perused the almost vacant store for any remaining items that I might possibly be interested in, I felt suddenly very sad. I always looked forward to visiting my wife?s sister in Richmond and in turn getting to talk to my dear friends at Fly Fishing the World. That chapter in my life has now suddenly been removed from my memory book without my permission. I felt a certain tremendous rage toward the owner of the building who probably raised the rent to an exorbitant rate.
Black Friday is a wonderful time for crazy Christmas shoppers the day after Thanksgiving. But for me, Black Friday is truly a very ?black? day of grief for me. My favorite store to chat and renew those friendships that renewed my joy in fly fishing is no longer there. No computer can replace the human relationship and personal interaction. When one like me desires to purchase new fly fishing gear, I want to place it my hands. I want to be able to ask the salesman if they have had any experience with the products. I want a salesman or friend to help me if something broke that I purchased at their store. No computer purchase can do that. If the local storefront is being replaced by computer technology and therefore replacing good friendly service help and friendship in the world of fly fishing, we might as well go build our cinder block homes to protect us from Iraqi or Communist invaders and live like a hermit for the rest of our lives. Money and computers cannot replace the loss of human interaction and human relationship.
Truly, yesterday was a Black Friday. I would like to say thanks to Harry Robertson and Alex Penland that it is our own true loss as fly fishing consumers that your store is gone. Thank you, gentleman for your gracious contribution to the lives of individuals like me who value the local storefront and the ability to speak to a human being instead of just ordering a product through the internet so that one might get a better price on a certain product. Thank you, Robert Thomas for your positive willingness to assist one like me in purchasing the best in equipment. I will deeply miss your friendship and kindness. No computer or raised rent price can replace the value of human interaction. I personally think that the day is truly getting ?blacker? the longer we keep thinking the selfish ways we are thinking. Thanks for precious memories. I will grieve for a long time.

Steven Medford
Southport, NC