Monday, April 12, 2010

I'm Five ... Next Month

All right, I'm going to be kind of eager and write another Muppet post about thirty seconds after finishing my last one. But what can I say? Eager is a good word for the happy, enthusiastic, and youthful member of the Muppets for whom I harbor a special affection: Robin the Frog. (no, he's not my favorite, but you can't help but feel something special for the kid.)

Robin is the famous Kermit's nephew, and he is a bundle of energy, eager to please, eager to perform, and eager to tattle on you if you don't let him on stage. Robin's innocence and youthful outlook on life can inspire those of us who have become a little jaded as we've added a few years to our bodies. (yes, yes, i'm only 26 ... but that's older than robin's supposed to be!) Robin feels that he's easily overlooked because he's so small and takes drastic measures in response, such as deciding to run away. But he's immediately drawn back into line when Kermit says, "I'm gonna get your father!" (which begs the question, if kermit is robin's uncle, who's the sibling of kermit, robin's mom or dad?)

Whether singing a quiet, contemplative song like "Halfway Up the Stairs" or exuberantly showing his uncle Kermit a Fraggle hole he discovers, Robin reminds us of our childhood, a time when we were daring and sang out, a time when we reveled in exploration, and a time that we just couldn't wait to grow up.


He also reminds us of some of the timeless lessons that come "out of the mouths of babes", especially as Tiny Tim in The Muppet Christmas Carol. As Bob Cratchit (kermit) reports to his wife (miss piggy), Robin as Tiny Tim hopes that others see him at the church because then they can remember " ... upon Christmas Day, who made lame beggars walk and blind men see." And as he so wisely and happily observes to his family, "God bless us, everyone." Okay, those lessons could be argued to come from Charles Dickens and not Robin, but can you picture any other Muppet who fits the bill for optimistic Tiny Tim as well as Robin does?

So, even though we're older (and some of us grayer), let's remember to be a little more like Robin and enjoy life as a child does, willing to learn, eager to explore, and happy to be alive.

-Me

"I'm gonna get an agent! I'm gonna get a lawyer!" -Robin
"I'm gonna get your father." -Kermit
"I'm gonna get right out there and learn this cute little song." -Robin

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