Flashback Friday Moment of The Week: 3/20/2020

by Just Juan
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A peek at old entries in my journal takes me back to the March 20, 2001 entry into Triumphs & Tribulations I. It was one of the few Tuesdays on which I had off during the early days of my time at Domino’s Pizza. I figured that day was as good as any to purchase a Sony PlayStation 2. My father picked me up from school and we went to Circuit City across the way from Century Plaza and Eastwood Mall. Upon our entry into the store, one of the sales associates—her nametag said Pinky—approached and asked if she could help us. I told her that I was there for a PS2. She went about assisting me in procuring the game console while also discreetly flirting. Anyway, I left with my PS2 and a phone number that I don’t think I used…at least there was no further mention of her in Triumphs & Tribulations except for me seeing her in the hallways at Huffman. It was a pretty clean experience at Circuit City, a place where my fascination with electronics took off. That brings me to this week’s moment in the Flashback Friday series: Circuit City.

How I first came across this moment? My first Circuit City experience was when my father took me along with him to get new speakers for his home entertainment system. I was about 8 years old at the time.

What it meant to me then? When I was 8 years old, it didn’t mean a lot to me to be in Circuit City except that I was with my father. As I grew older and became more comfortable with electronics and technology in general, Circuit City started meaning more to me. I trusted the quality of their merchandise and the knowledge of their staff. In addition to the Sony PlayStation 2, a lot of my early computer peripherals were purchased from Circuit City.

What it means to me now? The chain closed in the Spring of 2009 after failing to keep pace with Best Buy and making a fatal error in moving away from specializing in appliances. Towards the end, it was more of a glorified RadioShack. My last visit, according to Triumphs & Tribulations VIII, was during my 2008 home visit to the United States: I purchased a new PS2 controller after TSA broke the one I had with their careless handling of my duffle bag at LAX. Had I known that would be my last time in a Circuit City, I would’ve purchased my PlayStation 3 there instead of the AAFES Exchange at Yokota Air Base. While I may get the majority of my electronics from Best Buy and Amazon these days, Circuit City still carries a lot of weight with me…even in death.

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