A Young Girl’s Crush

H.R. Pufnstuf  

(Jack Wild)

 A few weeks ago as I was cursing down the movie aisle at my local Target I stopped dead in my tracks. I could not believe my eyes or my heart. There it was on the bottom shelve a memory long forgotten. On the front of a very colorful DVD box was a young girl’s crush, the very cute Jack Wild. Oh for a moment I was setting in front of a boxy vintage television with rabbit ears, knobs and a slight fuzzy to the picture. Smitten with a brown haired boy with an absolute awesome British accent. Could it really be the incredible series H.R. Pufnstuf staring Jack Wild as Jimmy with his magic talking flute Freddie? It was!

 Finally Jack Wild (Jimmy) was free of the dark cravens of my mind, I was holding him right there in my hands. There was no doubt that this DVD collection with the boy whose photo image uses to be on my bedroom wall was coming home with me. Oh yea I had big plans for Jack and me. I could set back and watch 366 minutes of him non-stop if I so desired. Life is so good when you’re at Target.

 I rushed home with Jack in the passenger seat, after way to many red lights we were finally there.  I had to have a reason to watch my childhood crush; oh I had it family TV time when the boys have to settle down before bed. Tick, tick, tick finally it was time. The plan was to just put the DVD in and hope the boys would want to watch it. I was holding my breath as I push the start button on the DVD remote control. Please, please let them like it. There he wash running across the screen Jack Wild (Jimmy) and the faintly familiar theme song was filling our family room. One by one the boys came in and started watching with great interest. The first episode ended and no one left the room. It was a hit! Jack had transcended the decades and found new fans. Soon Josh was running around with a plastic flute calling it Freddie and wanting to go and buy a wooden one he could paint to look like the real one in the DVD.

 Thanks Jack for being a young girls crush, and bringing a smile to a woman’s soul. Thanks H.R. Pufnstuf for finding something my boys and I can love together!

 I only have one question for Sid & Marty Krofft what is up with the violet boots on H.R. Pufnstuf (the Mayor)?