DeKALB | I really can’t believe this is happening.

After filing for bankruptcy, Borders will soon be closing its doors for good in DeKalb.

Walking in there the other day was really depressing; everything is still pretty much only 20 percent off. I was expecting the word “liquidation” and some sweet deals; instead, I was met with $34.99 Blu-rays. Obviously the prices will keep going down…but really, $18.99 for a Paramore CD? If you were smart, you would start hiding items in bookcase nooks for future sales. Seriously, don’t touch that book of short stories by James Franco.

The most emotionally-draining part was seeing the Seattle’s Best cafe stripped bare. All the menu items were gone. The chai tea machines no longer flowed, the pastries were mysteriously gone. Even the once heavily-populated table and chair area was being used by only two individuals on their laptops. With Borders gone, where are they going to write their coming-of-age tales now?

You may be wondering, “why can’t I just go across the street to Barnes and Noble?” It’s a valid question. They do have more places to sit down, read magazines for three hours, not buy anything and then leave. It’s a fine establishment, but it’s a yin without a yang.

That’s what makes competition in this country so awesome; we get alternatives. Some days, I feel like Joe America and I want to go to Walmart. Other days I’m wearing Urban Outfitters and I feel like going to Target. We’ve got a million different options for food, clothes, entertainment and music in this town, but now only one for books and the ambience surrounding the store.

I got a Borders Rewards card about a year ago and never bought one thing there. Sure, I probably went there a dozen times to do some strategic browsing, but there were no financial transactions. I still love the store.

It’s not Borders I’m specifically going to miss; it’s the thought of it. The thought of two bookstores across the street from each other, dividing customers between the two and gaining arm-space in the process.

When I wake up on Sunday mornings and have a sudden urge to skim through Esquire to seem cultured, I will go to Barnes and Noble, but I’ll be thinking of you, Borders.