The following is a letter to the editor I wrote after hearing that AlBums, my favorite music shop, was closing its doors. It was published in the New Yorker, I mean the Worcester Telegram & Gazette on April 8, 2007. The letter was given the prestigious "Letter of the Week" distinction and the high brow publication sent me a wooden pen that said "LOTW". My hunch is that the editor is a big Lord of the Rings (LOTR) fan. Anyway, the pen ran out of ink after a couple of weeks.

" The heartbreaking news of Albums closing is yet another manifestation of an anti social culture that has developed in the United States. Why visit the record shop when you could sit alone and download songs rapidly? Robert Putnam’s seminal book “Bowling Alone” proves that since 1975, Americans sign less petitions, belong to fewer organizations, visit with friends and neighbors with less regularity, and while an activity such as bowling has increased nationwide, we’re doing it alone and not in leagues.

 Putnam’s book was written in 2000, and he could surely add visiting independent stores such as Albums to his list. Charter Networks billboards exclaiming “Video Stores are Ancient History” due to the availability of at home and on-demand movies reiterates the point.

These signs of declining community engagement are precarious as it leads to less social networking; a tenet of a successful local economy. Not to mention neighborhood defining stores like Albums going the way of the LP, 8- Track, and soon, the CD.

What could possibly be next, online dating? "

-Shaun R. McNamara