For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for June 28, 2024

As you will recollect from the Saturday January 15, 2022 comic strip, the school is right next to the mall, so they and the entire high school can go to the mall after school. As predicted, Anthony is there with Elizabeth, but fortunately Dawn is there to chaperone.

A happy last day of school make the beginning of vacation better.

Isn’t it crazy that with all the great things to do outside (after a year stuck inside at school), the only thing they can think of is to go hang out inside at a mall…

Anthony is about the same height as Elizabeth and Dawn in this comic strip, except in the second panel. Wasn’t he taller than both of them in his prior appearances?

If there was a mall in the film classic MARTY, there would be no “Whaddya wanna do tonight, Marty? I dunno—whaddya YOU wanna do tonight, Angie?”

Panel 1: I had no idea that Forrest Gump went to their high school.

Panel 2: Is that Anthony, or a boiled and plucked chicken?

Ahh, visiting the ruins of lost civilizations. Good Choice.

Without realizing it they are drawn to where other people are. In the old old days it was the town square or ‘promenade’.

Cue Alice Cooper.

Nothing like just hanging at the Mall and window shopping. Might even try on some clothes with no intention of buying.

Must be a very old strip—-they aren’t even around here anymore ! ! ! !

A city school. In our rural school, even after the last day we had to have the school bus take us back to our neighborhoods.

If Elizabeth did not get any money from Elly, she can go to John. After all, he is a rich dentist.

Ah yes, the Mall Rat days of yore. The window shopping, endless talking, the food court, the movie theater, the wasted hours. Those were the day.

There are fewer and fewer malls these days. Do kids still go? It was a big deal for a long time. But most have disappeared where I live. Just a couple of high end malls left.

How come they aren’t the swimming pool?

Canadian thing, most of the malls in the US are closing1

The difference that 22 years can make! In many American towns and cities, the shopping mall has gone the way of the rotary dial telephone and black & white television. With the big box anchor stores like Sears and J.C. Penny folding, and online shopping becoming more popular, American malls have become ghost towns.

My wife and I were at the Albrook Mall, in Panama City, Panama recently and were amazed at how busy it was. This is a Mega-Mall on steroids and lives up to its reputation – a plethora of stores – large and small – catering to everything from cut-rate clothing to high-end merchandise, several large food courts and restaurants, fairly easy to navigate, and according to a couple of different sales clerks I spoke to, always crowded. It’s a far cry from most of the malls in the States or even our malls here in Ecuador.

Kids being, well at least 30 years ago. Happy weekend all !

school ended 2 days ago for me

In my school days, I loved having nothing to do in the summer.

At least at the Mall they spoke with each other face-to-face. Today, it’s sitting around looking at one’s IPad, texting each other.

Ahh… the Mall. A wonderful, but transitory, magic place…

Welcome to the shopping mall. Now check out the items which you can buy if you earn enough.