I was the original mall rat.
I’m so old, there weren’t many indoor malls around when I was a kid. But there was a large, outdoor shopping center about a mile from my home that was my weekend go-to hangout.
My friends and I had our routine. We’d kibitz over greasy fries at J.J. Newberry’s lunch counter, ogle the stereo gear at Sears and Radio Shack, peruse the latest releases from bands such as Creedence Clearwater Revival and the Beatles at the record store, catch an occasional movie at the cinema, and make nervous small talk with girls.
