A Thrifting Adventure Through the Eyes of a Child
Life lessons in perspective from my pint-sized explorer.
My daughter’s eyes were sparkling like the edges of the crystal shot glass she held.
“Mommy, look! This cup is the perfect size for Hot Dog.”
Hot Dog is Carolina’s stuffie. It first entered our orbit in the window of a shop in our neighborhood. Every time we walked by, she stopped to admire it and ask if she could have it.
“No, you have enough stuffies,” I would tell her while secretly, I had already bought it. It was hidden in the back corner of my closet and would emerge on Christmas morning.
The shot glass was 99 cents and just the right size for Hot Dog. We were at the Big Reuse warehouse in Brooklyn. Big Reuse is a community organization dedicated to fighting climate change in a variety of ways—one of which is running a thrift store where you can find everything from refrigerators to t-shirts to coffee mugs. All items have been donated under the ethos of “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” If you’re in the market for an organ from 1892—or reclaimed wood planks from a bowling alley, head over before someone else scoops them up.
I let Carolina spend time alone in the toy section while I hovered nearby, examining a case of vintage collectibles. She wanted to know if we could buy the Snail’s Pace Race board game.
“Hmmm… I’ve never heard of this before. Let me read about it and see how you play,” I said.
“Oh, I don’t care about the game. The snails are so cute! Can we get it? Pleeeaasse?”
Next, we spent time in the book section. She pulled kids' books from the shelf and sat on a nearby piano bench, flipping through each one and creating two piles: buy and put back.
When I checked on her to see how she was doing, she looked up and said, “Mommy, check out the deer!” A taxidermy deer sat atop one of the bookshelves.
“Aw, it’s so cute. Like the ones we saw at Grandma and Grandpa’s house,” I said.
“Yes, but look at what it’s wearing,” she said.
The deer wore a sparkly gold party hat.
On the way back to the subway, we spotted a playground. The promise of cooling off in the splash pad enticed us both. We stopped for a quick play break. D-shaped blue bars meant to be climbed became the window of her coffee shop. I ordered a virtual donut and coffee with milk, no sugar.
She was tired, hot, and hungry by the time we returned to the subway. We grabbed a banana, a bottle of water, and some lifesavers from a deli and made our way up two escalators and a long set of stairs to the F train platform.
The view over the Gowanus Canal was stunning. I admired the graffiti on the buildings and spotted the Williamsburg Savings Bank—the tallest building in Brooklyn from 1929 to 2009—in the skyline. There have been significant efforts to clean up the Gowanus Canal, so seeing oil slick and floating garbage was disheartening.
Carolina stood on her tippy toes peeking over the wired window ledge and exclaimed, “This is the most beautiful view! Look at the river! Can we swim in it?”
As we made our way home on the crowded subway, a woman shoved her bag beneath Carolina’s feet. I worried that she would be uncomfortable. She whispered, “Mom, my foot touched her bag. Is that ok?”
I couldn’t help but marvel at Carolina’s concern for others. Her ability to find the everyday extraordinary—from a tiny shot glass perfect for Hot Dog to the ‘beautiful river’—her fresh perspective was a reminder to look beyond the surface, to find beauty in unexpected places, and to approach the world with curiosity.
Perhaps if we all took a moment to see the world through the eyes of a child, we might find a little bit of magic.
Words of the Week:
"You will spend the majority of your life knowing your children as adults, but for a brief moment you'll have the chance to know them as kids.” - Unknown
Photo of the Week:
Imagine a once-bustling amusement park, now silent and overgrown. This haunting image captures a decaying roller coaster at Spreepark, an abandoned wonderland on the outskirts of Berlin. In 2010, fueled by curiosity and a dash of adventure, my college roommate Cecilia, her boyfriend, and I scaled the perimeter fence to explore this eerie urban ruin. Our expedition yielded a treasure trove of haunting images, each telling a story of nature reclaiming what was once a pinnacle of human entertainment.
Let me know if you'd be interested in a future deep dive into Spreepark's past, present, and future in the comments below.
A child’s awe puts everything into perspective
I would love to hear about Spreepark!