Goodbye Linens N Things!

I got my first job when I was 17-years-old and just finishing up my junior year in high school. I had been job hunting for some time, but hadn't had much luck. When you are a teenager looking for your first job, it's tough. You have no experience, you're young, you have inflexible hours and you can only work part-time. So I went on many job interviews and turned in many, many applications, but didn't land my first job until my interview with Linens N Things. I remember being so excited when the manager called me the following day offering me a job as a cashier. And not only that, but I got to start making $7.00 instead of minimum wage, $6.75! I couldn't have asked for anything better.

I worked at Linens N Things (LNT) for fourteen months. To this day, aside from being a mother, it is the first and only job I have had. I loved it there so much. I made some wonderful, life long friends in the people I worked with. I actually looked forward to going to work most days. I looked forward to seeing my co-workers, to doing my job, to making money.

During my senior year, Richard joined the air force and left for boot camp. I was so happy to have a job to help pass the time and happy to have wonderful friends to talk to while I was there. It really kept me going some days. With my really easy school schedule (Monday I was out at 1:00pm, Tuesday/Thursday I was out at 12:20pm and Wednesday/Friday I was out at 10:15am) I began to request more work. It was just a nice way to fill my time before Richard returned home. When that day got closer and our moving day approached as well, I also loved having my 25% discount to buy things for my new home.

Now I read that LNT is going out of business. It is a weird feeling, knowing that when I return to California I won't be able to walk into that Folsom store and relive all my memories. Although very few people still work there from when I was there (and I doubt they would even remember me!) just being back in the building makes me happy. Now when my kids ask me someday what my first job was, it will have been at a store that isn't around for them to shop at.

I will miss it. It was a great store, where you could find all your home needs and a good deal or two on a clearance rack. Now I am stuck shopping at my sworn competitor, Bed Bath & Beyond! Oh the horror.