Memory express is a solid group. I’m there for work stuff multiple times a month More on reddit.com

Went about 2 weeks ago, they're only letting 5 people in the store at once, no browsing allowed, they take you straight to the desk and you give them the list of stuff you want

Took about 20 minutes of waiting outside the store to get in, the line was just to the bottom of the ramp outside their doors

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It was about 2007, I was 15 turning 16 and it was Boxing Day. Back in those days to get Boxing Day deals you had to wake up early - really early - and camp out infront of your chosen store to make sure you get the deal you wanted. I woke up at 3:30am while surprised I even managed to get any sleep. Continued on my basic morning routine with extra care not to be too loud to wake my parents. I managed to consume a whole bowl of Cheerios without turning on the kitchen light or even clinking the bowl even once. Truly a master of stealth. By 4:00am my cousin is outside waiting in his car, and I walk out the door into one of those “why do I live where the air hurts my face” days. I open the back door of the small compact car and say good morning to my 2 other cousins - we were all in this together. Growing up in the West End had its perks, well not really but at least back then you still had kids outside playing in the streets with or without overprotective parents leering through their blinds. One other advantage however, is the fact that it’s less than a 10 minute drive from there to Memory Express. And boy was it a memorable ride, a bunch of teenage boys who saved up their pennies throughout the year to buy those few things we really wanted on this very special day. I don’t remember the music that we listened to but it had to be in the realm of sum 41, linkin park, green day or my chemical romance. Down Century we drove until we slowed down to make the left into the oddly L shaped parking lot, gitty as a car full of half asleep but hyped teenagers can be and lo behold our eyes feast on an unexpected sight. The parking lot was already nearly full. Damn. You can still see the stars with no sign of purple peeking over the horizon anywhere. Hell you can’t even tell the detail of the persons face infront of you though to be fair there are many balaclavas worn that morning. Now here’s the kicker, 4 boys in one car, we park the car and we get out one by one, slamming the doors in a satisfying percussion as we drag our feet by the soles to step in our place in line. Last place of course. Well, until some other poor son bitch takes that turn into the lot with high hopes only to be crushed a moment later. We stand there freezing as a group but are obviously too macho to hug for warmth. First our ears, then our fingertips, then our toes, then our eyelashes freeze in clumps eerily foreshadowing what fashion trends would be decades later, and the frost continues to pierce every orifice of our bodies until we all witness something what we gamers would call “a high IQ move”. Some Guy walked up past us, chatted with Some Other Guy ahead of us, took his spot in line while Some Other Guy walked away and got into their car to warm up. I do not know what any of our faces looked like at that moment in time as there was was not enough light to reflect our Forever Alone facial expressions but if you imagine hard enough, I think you may figure it out. The hell are we all doing freezing our dongers off when we have an army of tag teaming sacrificial lambs? It was nearly that same moment as this realization where our collective, dumbfounded faces would against all odds change 180 degrees into joy and bliss. There are only two things in the world that could have accomplished this feat. One, a supermodel in lingerie walking past us saying “hey boys” in a sultry, longing voice or two, Cameron from Memory Express opening the backdoor of the building holding a 25L canister of fresh brewed, steaming hot cocoa for this lineup of poor saps trying to save a few bucks. And fortunately for us on that day that I will always cherish beyond rational belief, the latter actually happened and with a voice matching Zeus himself I heard Cameron for the first time in my life and he would say the words that could make any girl or boy cry tears of joy: “Would anyone like some hot chocolate?” To this day I can count the times I’ve gone to Memory Express on my two hands but in a fateful way that’s all that was needed. If I didn’t see Cameron I would ask if he was working, or if I was lucky I would already hear his commanding voice carry through the store as I walked in. It’s poetry that he too would recognize me by my voice, as I only ever go there once a blue Winnipeg moon. He could never recognize me by my face as he saw tens of thousands I’m sure but he would recognize me by my voice and I’m no longer too macho to admit that it truly made me feel special. And I would always tell him of that one time many years ago when he gave a young me the most delicious cup of hot cocoa I would ever have in my life and we’d have a short pause of simultaneous reminiscing before the world would start spinning once more. I don’t know where you are now Cameron, but I can’t believe I never get to hear your voice again. I can’t believe I never get to hear you say you remember my voice too. As I get older and optimism becomes sporadic instead of steady, reality stays ever present so perhaps I can say that you might be... in a better place now than you were before. We all have our own demons and some are more powerful than others. Unfortunately for the world, your demons were ones of legends that took down an even more legendary titan. Wherever you are Cameron, anyone who shared a moment with you, anyone who had the chance to hear you laugh, to see you smile, to call you a friend or call you family... you will always exist. If it comes to be that we yell and cry and scream and grieve, we will inevitably keep pushing forward as our paths continue. Even though your journey has reached its last checkpoint, know that your torch will never disappear. It will keep burning, through a windy summer evening or a cold winter night. And if it ever gets too windy or too cold, there will be a cup of fresh brewed, steaming hot cocoa set out for you, waiting. More on reddit.com

Very unfortunate. Hopefully BC stores don't follow the trend... More on reddit.com