Be Kind...Rewind!!

So it is official..I feel old! How did this happen? My oldest is 16 and getting his license (I threw up in my mouth a little bit) and just got his first car! Yikes. He has an older model car that has a tape player, which is very funny because teenagers have no idea what a tape player is and how can they put their CD's in a tape player? As I watch him sitting in his car and investigating everything my mind floats back to him being a little boy and I did have tapes in the car and we only had VHS movies to watch...and then I remembered....

So when my oldest was little we would go to Blockbuster every Friday night and rent movies for the weekend. This was long before the days of Netflix and Movies On Demand. He would love walking up and down the rows of movies and making his selections and then getting some Movie candy as we checked out. (those were the days) Then you had to remember to drop them back off or get late fees and if you did not rewind them you would get a $1 fee. There was a big sign as you put the movies in the drop off box "BE KIND...REWIND" Seems simple enough...right? Until the phone call I received!

So it was not unusual for Blockbuster to call those days and remind you if you had an overdue movie or if a movie came in that you had requested, so I was not that alarmed at first when I got the call! So I answer and a young man on the other end states that he is calling from Blockbuster and that there is a problem with the movie I returned. I do not understand what he is talking about. I say, "I dropped the movie off on time and I remember I did rewind." And the young man replied, "You did rewind but it is not our Movie." I am still confused as he continues "We do not have THESE KIND of movies at Blockbuster." My heart starts to race as my brain processes what has happened and he says "Ma'am if you could return our Movie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and I will give you back your movie" All I can say is "I am sorry I will be down." I hang up the phone and I am horrified as the full reality of what I have done sinks in. In my Monday morning rush of getting out of the house I never looked at the tape I ejected from player and put in the case! Now I have to walk into the Blockbuster and hand over the correct tape as I retrieve my KIND of movie. Great! Okay so as you might have guessed by now, some Mommies and Daddies might have some things that are not G rated and apparently Blockbuster does not have a hidden back room with movies. I gather myself together and hold my head up high and drive down to the store with the correct movie. I take a deep breath as I open the door and prepare my walk of shame. As I reach the counter the young man asks if he can help me. I start to explain "I spoke to you on the phone and I returned the wrong movie.." I did not have to say anything else. He says "Oh I know who you are.." As he pulls my movie out from behind the counter in a brown paper bag. (surprised it did not have a scarlet P on the front!) and handed it to me, I give him the correct movie back. There is not much to say but I tell him I am sorry for the mix up and as I try to make a quick get away, he says "You are lucky we check every movie, can you imagine if a kid rented that and we never checked!" Okay I am mortified as it is and I know I was wrong but I am done getting a lecture from this kid and I turn and say "Obviously you check every movie so you have seen this movie and I am pretty sure you must have enjoyed! Have a good day!" I turned and bolted with my movie and let's just say I never went back to that Blockbuster! I am pretty sure there is a special note on my membership account.

So always remember to Be Kind...Rewind.....or here is a better tip! Lock up THOSE MOVIES!!!