Thursday, February 2, 2017

A B C D E F Cookie Monster...FTW

Where to start with this?

Some tales are windier than others.

I don't know if I've mentioned it here, but Precocious Daughter recently became the youngest member of a local wind ensemble that performs throughout the year in the Dallas area. Her music teacher happens to be the clarinet section leader, and she invited PDaughter to join the group.

As an aside, the previous youngest member of this ensemble was one of my amazing nephews, whose music teacher plays for them, and who coincidentally is married to PDaughter's music teacher.

Connections. They're a thing.

Anyway, the wind ensemble rehearses once a week in the band hall of a high school in a little town somewhat north of where we live. In normal late-rush-hour traffic, it takes nearly an hour to drive there. Then I get to sit through two hours of rehearsal, then drive back on roads undergoing late-night construction, i.e., closures and detours.

It's a bit stressful.

Let's not forget that this is after putting in
a full day's work at the Office O' Hell.

So I bring my laptop with me on these evenings, and a pair of headphones (gifted me by my wonderful Drummer Boy). And tonight, while PDaughter rehearsed with the ensemble, I watched an episode of Mystery Science Theatre 3000.

Prince of Space. I LIKE IT VERY MUCH.
When the episode ended, there were still about 10 minutes remaining in the rehearsal. So I watched one of my all-time favorite clips from Sesame Street, namely this.



And then I got to wondering about this wonderful little girl. Her name is Joey Calvan. She appeared in several Sesame Street bits in 1973. She was six, which makes her just about my age (and believe me, at the time I owned numerous outfits just like the one she's wearing here).

After a bit of Googling, I found this. It's the prologue to a biography of the late great Jim Henson, and it happens to be about this very segment.

Please, please, please, read it here.

Drunkards, I firmly believe that Jim Henson was one of the best humans to ever walk this Earth.

This brief prologue made me tear up. Because I'd like to be as sensitive, loving, and humble as he was in his all-too-short life.

But mostly, I love that through him, Kermit created an immortal moment of love and kindness.

Who among us can say we've done the same?

4 comments:

  1. Every time I'm reminded of what a good, kind, and gentle person Jim Henson was it makes his accomplishments even more extraordinary. So many of my heroes have feet of clay--some are clay right up to their necks, and I think, well, they couldn't have done such extraordinary things otherwise.
    Jim Henson challenges that belief. I can't decide whether he's an exception or whether he's proof that extraordinary people can also be extraordinarily good.
    Well.
    More squid eyes?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Do you live in Nashville? Or am I imagining that?

      Delete
    2. You're not imagining it. I do live in Nashville and have been enjoying your blog for some time now.

      Delete
  2. His contributions to humanity affect me daily. I grew up on Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, all the movies. In second grade, my best friend and I sang The Rainbow Connection at our school talent show. And of course, Avenue Q - the grown-up love song to Jim Henson... yeah. He was good people, and his legacy cannot be overstated.

    ReplyDelete

You're thinking it, you may as well type it. The only comments you'll regret are the ones you don't leave. Also, replies to threads make puppies grow big and strong.