TRAVELING SISTAH WHO TRAVELS WHILE BLACK

I love going to various Thrift stores.  For decades now, I have traveled to all kinds of Thrifts stores.  I did not always have a love for Thrift stores.   You see,   I was one of those people who turned my nose up at the thought of a thrift store.  Just the thought of someone else’s stuff.  Ugggh.. Not me.

I got started going to Thrift stores because of overwhelmingly stress,  coupled with no one to talk to.  Back then, I lived on the South side of Chicago.  I remember  one time in order to get relief from stress, I just  started walking.  I needed to get some stuff off my mind, or just do something.  I did not want to go home either.  I found this Thrift store.  This was my first visit to a Thrift store.  It was on  70ish and Racine in  Chicago, Illinois.  This was a time when I could understand what people were saying.  The pricing was just awesome, as well as affordable.  You did not have to wait until half off day sales.  This was a time when people who worked in the  black community spoke fluent English.  I knew if I yelled for help, people would understand me then.

Like I said, it all started as a stress busters for me.  It helped eliminate some of the stress I dealt with.  This stress was primarily from vicious co-workers, and family problems, etc.  From there thrifting turned into a habit.  The stress did not stop, and yes I replaced stress with a habit.    Thank God it was Thrift store shopping.

At that time, I just found a way to forget about everything going to the thrift stores.  Especially on the weekends.   It was so therapeutic for me just to walk around looking for nothing in particular.  I also met other people with the same habit, who went to the same stores.    A few had problems that they did not want to go home to.  I began to enjoy the hunt so to speak, and finding great things at awesome prices.  The welcome environment among Thrifters was awesome as well.

Now all of that has changed.  As I said, I use to find some good finds.  Thrifting has become so addictive, and therapeutic that my garage, and every other ounce of space I  can and now cannot spare is full to the brim.

Again, I have done this for decades now.  My travels began in Illinois.  I started from the South side stretching back to Harvey, Illinois,  and I would end up on the North side.   I never drove on the expressway.  Just main streets.  I loved Chicago for that.   I even went into Bridgeport to the Thrift, driving down Halsted.   In the summer,  I would stop at yard sales on the way to my next store.  I saw other thrifters at each point as I traveled from store to store.  Destination to Destination.

Now I am in Indiana, and we thrifters can find our stores. I managed to find thrift stores in Indiana.  I still don’t know all of Indiana yet, but  I am careful traveling while Black.  I do not venture into   “no blacks here” land.  I know these areas from experiences, so to speak   I have a racist radar to know it.  Suffice to say, I found some Goodwill stores, and a couple of Salvation Army stores too.

The experience use to be great.   Now, these thrifters seem to be greed mongers, and/or extremely aggressive.  This is a totally different breed.  They are vicious, rude, and greedy.   These are not the traditional gracious, courteous thrifters I started with.   This is a totally different breed here.  These thrifters take your breath away in disguise.  It is sad now, because they are so vicious that I don’t want to go anymore.  However, it looks like I found a way to replace my thrifting habit.   A good thing.  A blog.