We went shopping at both of the local thrift stores in Devine last week-my absolute favorite kind of stores-because both of the awesome thrift stores here donate all their profits to helping others. Plus why pay full price, when you can find a thrift store treasure? Indeed that is what we found.
I was looking for a fancy dress, but very quickly, my little boy spied something else, a pair of really cool looking shoes. It ended up being our most treasured find. The pair of shiny white tennis shoes with cool looking black rubber cleats on the bottom. I won’t lie; they are pretty snazzy looking shoes, though I didn’t know just HOW cool they really were. Tucker, 4, tried them on, and immediately stated, these were “really fast” shoes, using his deep little man voice. He raced across the small room only about 10 feet wide to demonstrate, and I could tell, he had fallen completely in love with these thrift store tennis shoes.
Tucker wouldn’t even take those shoes off to try on any other tennis shoes in there. In fact, he walked to the register IN those shoes, only handing the cashier the tag. And as of this writing, he has not worn one other pair of shoes since!
Naturally, I shared the legend of the “PF flyers” with him that day. You remember the PF Flyers from the movie Sandlot-the shoes that made Benny the Jet run faster and jump higher than any others? The shoes that helped Benny “pickle the beast”?
I myself have never owned a pair of the actual PF Flyer brand shoes, but I always enjoyed it when my daddy talked about how our best pair of shoes were “our PF flyers”. And I was so happy to get to share this magic moment with my little one. I, too, believe everyone has their own pair of special PF flyers in their life, brand name or not. For some, it’s that favorite pair of cowboy boots, and for some, it’s that one special pair of thrift store tennis shoes.
When I was a kid, I can remember that we had a race around the goal post everyday in PE, and there was only one girl faster than me in that class…Briana Mann (I can’t remember her maiden name). Every day my dad and I would strategize about how I would eventually get fast enough to beat her. Eventually I found myself the right pair of PF flyers and I believe I did beat her, at least once or twice.
In the past three years, Tucker has lost more pairs of shoes than I can count, so in all honesty, I hope this love affair lasts awhile!
Here’s to my daddy for instilling the magic and power of “PF flyers” in us-the shoes that can make any kid run faster and jump higher than ever before-even if they are regular old shoes, whatever brand they may be.
I am not exactly sure if my rambunctious little son needed anything to make him run faster or jump higher, but then again, I guess everybody does. If you’re feeling a little beat down by the “beast” of stressful days and wearing uncomfortable shoes, you know what to do- find yourself some PF flyers!