Tuesday 16 April 2013

King of Kensington

Hey everyone, just taking a bit of a break from the story once again, I apologize as always, it's just in telling this story I find myself needing small breaks here and there to keep the fire burning, as it is on these small breaks that I comb my brain for informative memories, most of which are very inspirational to me and necessary to continue the story in chronological order as best I can.

During this thought process I had an idea to do a vlog (video blog) version of Heavy Ghetto, my reasoning is quite simple, most people are visual and perhaps somewhat lazy when it comes to reading, so it's much easier to watch a movie than it is for one to read a book. Don't get me wrong, I love to read and write, if I do decide to go the video route you can still expect this blog to continue. The video version would simply be a re-telling of the story I've shared thus far, but I think it would be a little more in depth and personal. If I decide to go this route you will be the first one to know about it as this would be the first place I would share it with everyone.

Speaking of inspirational ideas, since I started writing this blog and sharing my memories with the world, I find myself missing and longing for some of the simple material items I once possessed as a boy, as a teen, and as a young man. In my eternal quest for nostalgia and with the power of eBay, I've been able to curb that compulsion without breaking my bank account. One thing I seem to miss more and more each day is my old leather jacket, something that could never be replaced or easily duplicated, nor can I simply "buy it now" on eBay. Even if I could, how impersonal would it be to own something that someone else poured their heart and personality into? I'd have to go back to step one and start the process all over, which I decided to do.

Yesterday I went downtown Toronto shopping by myself to spend some of my hard earned bonus I received from my place of employment. In my journeys I ventured up to Kensington Market to check out some vintage clothing stores in hopes of finding a leather jacket. After scouring the majority of stores there, I finally found a place that had tons of old "racers" (leather motorcycle jackets) but I just about shit 10 bricks when I discovered they all ranged from $300-$600 in price! I couldn't fathom nor comprehend how a used clothing store was charging so much for an old jacket that they clearly had an abundance of.

Deflated, I decided to give up and leave Kensington to continue my shopping. I crossed the street and passed the last few shops, then something caught my eye. A rolling rack out front of a store had a handful of racers hanging from it. I checked the prices and they ranged from $50-$90, a far cry from the last store I was in. I noticed one jacket in particular that looked much older and worn than the others. I looked at the tag and my eyes widened and my smile decided to come out and play, it said "As is $25" I snatched it, went in the store, tried it on, and purchased it! I also had a pleasant chat with the store owner in regards to the "other" store, and retail in general.

After I left Kensington I headed down to Queen street so I could search for some patches for my new old leather jacket. Most of the stuff I saw was newer bands but I did manage to find a few gems. I've got tons of old buttons that I've collected since grade 8 as well, so I'm off to a good start so far. I'll be sure to check back in and share some photos once my jacket is complete. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for the continuation of Heavy Ghetto...



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