Once a frontier town, Independence now has an abundance of shopping malls and car parks. On a grey Saturday afternoon, shoppers were out in droves hunting down the last car parking space. At the Independence Centre, the merry go round took pride of place in the centre of the shopping mall, but was under patronised. The mall was anchored by Macy's and Dillards, with the usual chain stores as the supporting cast. 
At the other end of the city, at the historic Independence Square where the pioneers fitted themselves out for their trails to the west, the place was deserted. The Court House where President Harry Truman presided as a county judge, has evidently been cleaned up, but was closed. Opposite was a shop that traded on the name of Harry Truman. And not much further afield were empty retail outlets, giving the place a forlorn and ghostly feel.
Lining an empty street were a number of antique shops with cute window displays that contained objects that are no more antique than my childhood cabbage doll. The use of the word antique is more aspirational than the true meaning of the word. Perhaps with patience one can find a gem or two to take home.
