The 2nd Story

  I’ve been trying to pinpoint exactly when my love for expression and thrifting began. To tell the truth, it’s always been there. I was recently challenged to write out my "origin story," which makes me sound a bit like a comic book character—but in a way, I guess I am. For a long time, I thought the spark started in high school. I remembered finding a discarded Boy Scout vest, covered in all the patches the previous owner had achieved. It looked so cool . I couldn’t help but wonder: Who wore this? What did they do to earn these? I couldn’t tell exactly what every patch was for, and I loved that mystery. Not knowing who wore it was part of the magic. Back then, my ultimate goal was to stand out. I loved getting feedback—everything from "Where did you find that?" to "What are you even wearing?" I didn't necessarily do it for attention; I did it because I knew it was different. But recently, a memory popped into my head from even earlier—something I ha...