Quote from Guest on July 22, 2020, 1:11 pm
Everything I know about Pink Floyd, I owe to Sean <3. He was patient and kind. I had so many annoying questions! The annoying little blonde girl with all the questions! "Why don't you have Squeeze Singles 45s and Under?" "Where can I find that?" "How many albums does Pink Floyd have?" "Who's the Grateful Dead?" I first heard Pink Floyd in the 2nd grade - someone had brought it to show and tell - and I never had the means to learn more about them until I discovered Full Cyrkle. I once went in with a pad of paper and a pencil so I could write down all of the Pink Floyd albums that existed. I kept it stuck to my bedroom wall with a thumbtack and would cross albums off the list as I acquired them. I think I was 13 when Sean started working at FC. I only saw him once after I moved away and exchanged hello's through my younger brother who ran into him every now and then before he passed.
I first started going to Full Cyrkle as soon as my parents would let me ride my bike wherever I wanted (at least wherever I could get away with) - maybe around 1984 at the the age of 12. Props to my best friend's older brother, Mark, who told us where to find the records we would sneak and listen to in his room when he wasn't home. I went to the downtown location a few times, but as luck would have it, Full Cyrkle moved across the highway from my neighborhood!! I lived in Orchard Acres and spent the next few years (until I moved to the city in the early 90s) riding my skateboard over. Perhaps you remember the little annoying blonde girl that would come in carrying a skateboard? That was me. I learned A LOT by reading anything I could get my hands on without making a purchase and by asking Sean a lot of questions. Often I really just needed to get out of the house. I didn't have a lot of money so I mostly walked around and read liner notes, magazines and looked at ALL THE STUFF everywhere. So many cool album covers! I remember stuffed Beatles by the register! I think they were stuffed. I bought when I could. I bought my first ever copy of The Wall and my first copy of Piper at the Gates of Dawn at Full Cyrkle on 31. I wish I had my photo taken in front of the shop. I still remember the smell. The incense. The dust. It was awesome.
I will never forget those first experiences exploring and discovering music on my own free will. I will never forget the knowledge that Sean shared with me. He was only a couple years older, but so much wiser. Thank you for letting me hang around. My early to mid-teens were rough - I was pimply, awkward and didn't have a lot of friends. FC was the perfect getaway. I can't believe I survived crossing Rt. 31.
-julie