Flashback Friday # 123

Muppets & Puppets

Greeting one and all and welcome back to another edition of Flashback Friday.

When I was a wee bit younger, I watched an excessive amount of television. Many of my funny voices and characters have been gleaned from the many hours in front of the TV. The TV was on from the time that I got up until I went to school and was the first thing turned on upon arriving home from school. It was then on until the time I went to bed. If I had a dollar for every show I have watched, I would never have to work again.

But I digress. One of the most influential TV shows that debuted during my formative teen years was The Muppet Show. I loved the Muppets, and to this day I still can sit for hours watching the genius of Jim Henson.

Any time The Muppet Show was on, I was glued to the tube. I was loaned the first season of The Muppet Show awhile back and thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved all the behind the scenes things that were added too. I do a pretty mean Kermit impersonation, if I say so myself.

One day we went over to the house of one of Mom's co-workers. Penny had three kids. Sir Gattabout was stricken for awhile by her oldest daughter Doris. Brice was a year older than I was, and one size larger so he was a source of hand-me-downs. The youngest, Jess, had some of the coolest toys, even if she was a girl. What does this have to do with anything? When we went over there, Jess was playing with an "Animal" puppet. It was totally cool. You could even make the eyebrows move.

That year for Christmas, I told Mom that I wanted an "Animal" puppet. When Christmas came, I tore open my gifts and found a floppy ear dog puppet. Mom didn't understand that "Animal" was the name of a character. She had gotten me an animal puppet (be careful what you ask for, you might just get it).

I used that dog puppet to make the neighbor kids laugh. I got a some other puppets to go along with it. A couple years later, when I had three or four puppets, Mom came home and absolutely blew me away. Penny was going to have a yard sale and let Mom look through the stuff first. She pulled a few things out of the bag, the she pulled out "Animal". Jess had gotten tired of him, and sold him in a yard sale for a quarter!!!! Whoo hoo!

I was 13 when I got "Animal. I am 47 now, and I still have him.

(Do you know how hard it is to put a puppet on one hand and take a picture of it with a cell phone using the other?) Here's a full view shot:
Alas,34 years have gone by. All the while I have looked through thrift stores, yard sales and auctions for puppets. I have had many given to me. At the writing of this post, I have six totes full of them. They are used in Sunday School & Children's Church functions. "The Girl" loves to play with them. She even uses our gloves as puppets if no others are handy.

Deep within all of use there is a little kid hidden away. I like to think that I let mine out to play every once in a while.