32: thrift & Whiplash

8:32

my eyes open

i realize i can make it to the goodwill bins in queens a couple minutes after it opens, so i do. i frantically dress, put on the closest clothes and a hat to cover my disheveled hair, and trudge out the door.

i make it at 9:10 to my surprise, there weren't as many people as i was expecting. it was relaxed and there weren't thrift demons flocking to buy clothes for $2 a pound and flip them for $20 a piece on depop or the local flea. it was chill.

i searched around the bins with my bare hands and found on item. a navy blue Tommy Hilfiger sweater with two small stains. it was a good fit and the stains seemed manageable to remove, and if not, it was only $5.

i went back to manhattan for my dentist appointment at 11:00, where i was stabbed with anesthesia and my top row of teeth were deep cleaned. i'm more diligent on taking care of my teeth now.

a walk home from the dentist followed, then a couple hours of staying inside and watching videos until my mouth was better and i could eat my leftover pizza. i washed my new sweater and laid it out to air dry flat to avoid stretching the fabric.

i went back on my phone some more until it was time to touch grass. i walked over to h mart to pick up some groceries where i bought two packets of sundubu, two mangoes, spring mix, and boneless skinless chicken thighs. i know, i'm adventurous.

on my walk, i thought about film and storytelling. i was interesting in watching a wong kar wai film, but the one i wanted to watch did not have subtitles on 123 movies, so i decided on Whiplash on amazon prime video.

the film follows a 19 year old drummer, Andrew, who attends the best music school in the country. he is invited to the top ensemble, led by Fletcher, an obsessed music composer fixated on pushing musicians to their limit. Fletcher's focus on prestige and greatness consumes Andrew, where he fixates on becoming "one of the greats" at the cost of human aspects in his life.

the film is great and highly recommended. it's amazing how the film portrays greatness, success, and the lengths people will go for these ideas. i enjoyed seeing a cult leader in Fletcher and how others follow their ideas. the movie ended in an amazing way off the climax, leading me to wonder what Andrew would be like after his performance.

Would he lead an individualistic life like the shift in his character suggests towards the end of the movie? Or will he be corrupted by Fletcher's will? Overall, I really enjoyed the idea of "How far will someone go for success?" I see this across social media and America. Making it, becoming rich, living the American dream, building a legacy, the prestige trap. it's all very interesting to think about