If You Grew Up in Lewiston, Maine, You Might Remember Friday Night Trips to These 2 Movie Rental Stores

Do you remember when a Friday night meant piling into the family van and heading to Sounds Easy or Movie Gallery in Lewiston?

Because if you grew up in the '80s or '90s, you KNOW exactly what I'm talking about. 

We had a Movie Gallery on the corner of Sabattus Street and Movie Gallery in that little strip mall on Highland Spring Avenue. And going there as a kid? PURE EXCITEMENT. 

My favorite movie was Clueless, and I would make my mom rent it for me EVERY SINGLE FRIDAY NIGHT. My best friend Jessica Guimond and I would talk on the phone during the movie as we watched it, separately at our homes, at the same time. 

Canva/Google Maps/ Lizzy Snyder

Then there was Jumanji and all those classic late-'80s and '90s movies that we couldn't get enough of. 

And remember when you'd show up, ready to watch the movie you wanted, only to discover it was OUT? 

OUT! What do you mean, someone else has it?! So you'd ask the employee when it was due back, and sometimes you'd literally return to the store on that day to get your hands on it. 

This is where the old Movie Gallery used to be, in that little strip mall on Highland Spring Avenue! Kutz Korner was there, too, where I used to get my hair cut. So many childhood memories in one little plaza!

Canva/Lizzy Snyder

Imagine explaining that to kids today. We had to physically GO somewhere, hope the movie was available, and rewind the VHS before returning it. The struggle was real. 

Today, we have millions of movies at our fingertips, available instantly, sometimes for free. It's convenient, incredible technology, and I wouldn't pretend otherwise. 

Read More: How Peter Geiger's Halloween Event Became A Lewiston Tradition 

But here's what I miss: piling into the van with my family, talking about what we wanted to watch, picking something together, and sitting down to enjoy it together. 

Maybe technology hasn't taken away togetherness, but we've certainly had to work harder to protect it. 

And I'd trade scrolling through 100 streaming services for one more of those simple Friday nights in a heartbeat.