I have very little, to no regrets. This is mostly due to the fact that everything I’ve wanted to do, I’ve either done, or I plan to do later in life. One of these dreams, is that I’d love to one day be, a puppeteer. The Muppet Show and Sesame Street both have had huge impacts on my life, and have almost certainly played a part in shaping me in to the man that I am today. When I am around the people that I feel the most comfortable, I find that I put on silly voices to talk to them, in a effort to cheer them up or lighten the mood. More often than not, these voices tend to be ones that have a caring tone to them, expressing to that person, that I’m worried about them, or that I just want to know if they’re okay. Both shows especially Sesame Street would get me in trouble at school. I always remember my first teacher Miss Price telling me “it’s not Zee it’s Zed Robert!” Nevertheless, her extensive efforts at Colonial integration were lost, as I still make that mistake today, twenty five years on, much to my own embarrassment as it’s normally to the people, that care about such trivia. Thanks to one man, my sense of humor is and will always be branded as being silly, he taught both myself and my twin brother, the importance of ignoring the inhibitions of an adult, that friendship among kindred spirits is as important as family. And that having fun and wearing a smile was what life is all about, I am of course talking about Jim Henson.
The most sophisticated people I know – inside they are all children.
Jim Henson
In May of 1990 Jim Henson Died at the age of 53. This was the first time in my life that I was affected emotionally by the death of someone, that I’d never met. I knew his work or too well! Labyrinth on VHS, that tape, would spend most of its time being watched from beginning to end, on none other than a typical drizzly Plymouth Sunday, only to find that it would then, be rewound back to the beginning again for another blast directly into mine and my brothers retinas. Our beloved sister even wrote to Jim il Fix It, to see if he would fix it for us, to be the special guest stars of the Muppet Show; you can imagine both of our disappointments, when several months later, a letter came back informing us, that the show had been cancelled, 7 years earlier, and that we had been watching reruns. This was unfortunate, nevertheless, the spell Jim Henson had cast on us both, made you believe that fun and being silly, was nothing to be ashamed of. His Worlds were full of magic and wonder, his creations meant so much to my childhood optimistic mind, that dreamed of adventure, comradeship among exciting and funny characters, and of course, the importance of love.
Leeta, when you judge somebody, it’s like throwing a boomerang – goes in a circle and comes back to the one who throws it. Love is like that too. Always comes back
A few nights ago I had the pleasure of an evening to myself. All of my housemates were out, apart from the old lady ghost, that shows up every now and then to give me the willies! Apart from the terrifying anticipation of her uninvited pleasure, the evening was perfect. I decided to make myself a posh dinner to enjoy, and pop on a film. I was feeling rather reflective that evening, so decided that a documentary was in order. The film I finally settled on was about the puppeteer Kevin Clash. Kevin is Elmo, and his story is quite remarkable and extremely moving. I urge everyone to watch the film, its called Being Elmo. The history of the man, his relentless work ethic together made for such an inspiring story. However, it was the films message of love that really got to me. Puppets are effectively a channeling device for the puppeteers soul, through the puppet, they express their kindness, and love for the world. If that isn’t important and worth doing, then I don’t know what is.
Tearmatt. It’s so important to make the most of life having fun taking each day at a time is the only way to face life itself. I like your post. Thank you for liking mine and for wanting to read more. I am interested in the paranormal so your ghost sounds very interesting! Best Wishes,The Foureyed Poet
I grew up with the Muppets and Sesame Street, so did my kids. Jerry Nelson’s recent death was a shock, but these wonderful puppeteers will live on in their characters and our joy.
Thanks for stopping by my blog. Hope you enjoy the posts!
I love Sesame Street! Proof: I am wearing a Sesame Street T-Shirt right now! lol! Great post and thanks for stopping by!
One of my favorite memories was watching the Muppet Show each week with my sister and brother. Muppets Take Manhattan is a favorite of mine and I will never quit loving Big Bird and Snuffy. And Elmo is just wonderful. There is a special video that Sesame Street did with Elmo that helped both me and my daughter get through the loss of a very special person.
What a fantastic post! You spoke from the heart and I felt your lovely energy through your post. Thank you for connecting me to my sense of wonder and awe. Looking forward to the magic that lies ahead for me today! ps – curious about the old lady ghost!
You gotta love the ghosts that just show up! Got a few experiences with that myself!!
And Sesame Street is the bomb!!
Live life!!! Only thing you can do!!!
Sesame Street and I are about the same age. I watched it when I was a child and my children watched it as well. The Muppet Show was a must watch in my house when it was on the air. Such a great show that was fun for kids and adults. Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal are still staple viewing in my household (I am really inspired by Brian Froud as well.) Being Elmo was a fantastic journey through the life of a wonderful puppeteer. I enjoyed this post very much.
A very nice read indeed. When I was growing up (or perhaps I still am), I was inspired by the likes of Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein. There’s no law that says you can’t be silly. I think it keeps one young. Thanks for the Elmo-ism.
I loved Sesame Street & Fraggle Rock. I am 38 & to this day i have always maintained i will NEVER grow up!! We don’t grow old because we play, we grow old when we stop playing.. Excellent post & thanks for visiting my blog x
Reblogged this on madeinulster's Blog.
Lost are they who underestimate the importance of puppets.
Doth cat have puppet? No. Doth chicken have puppet? No. Doth dog have puppet? N-well, if they have a pet pup, yeah, maybe. But generally, only humans have puppets. Must be something important implicit in that.
Great post, so important to retain that child like sense of self and wonder!
Is the Labyrinth film you mention the one with David Bowie? I watched that endlessly
Yes, I find puppets are more fun and can touch. Especially “Wallace & Gromit”, “Shaun the Sheep”, “Chicken Run” and many other puppet shoes. With current technology, most cartoon are made virtually. What do you think of this?
And I would like to say thank you for liking my post “My Attention”.
thanks for posting this, i’m happy to know i’m not the only one having the same kind of feelings towards the Muppet Show as you!