When I first saw the sign on the Colonia Theater’s marquee, announcing that the theater would be closed until Oct. 17, I didn’t think anything of it really. After all, they are located right across the street from a restaurant which regularly closes for vacation several weeks a year.

But yesterday morning as I drove to work, I experienced a little bit of heart failure when I saw that the date on the marquee had been changed to the 24th.

The more I thought about the old theater, the more nostalgic I became. I realized that the Colonia has not only been an important part of local history, but it has also played a starring role in my life story as well.

I honestly can’t contemplate what my formative years would have been like without the cinematic venue.

In fact, it was in the Colonia’s bathroom that I met one of my best friends. We’d both just seen Annie and it didn’t take us long to figure out we had a lot in common. When her grandmother called for Missy, I answered. When my mother called for Melissa, I answered.

Thankfully, no one calls either of us Missy anymore but, other than that, not much has changed. She’s about the same height, I still know all the words to “Tomorrow” (although it has become less socially acceptable to flaunt that knowledge now that I’m not 5) and we’re still friends.