By now you must have noticed on the Google search page of late the daily parade of Sesame Street characters featured, celebrating the 40th anniversary of that well-known children’s show. I was delighted when I saw the first one, and, I must confess, got a little thrill each day after when I stumbled across further characters, each one taking me on a little trip down memory lane to my 1970s childhood.
Some random thoughts about Sesame Street (which I warn you may be Canadian-centric!) and some of the other TV shows that enthralled me as a child…
I think the character of Sesame Street‘s Bob may have been my first crush. Though I would sooner have died than admit it, my little heart thought he was a pretty special person.
I remember one particular episode of Sesame Street where Mr. Hooper‘s store caught fire. I couldn’t get to sleep that night, afraid that our house might catch fire too! Of course my parents were quick to reassure me that I was safe, and after a time I was able to put the fear out of my mind. I think that episode was the only one that caused me any worry, and in retrospect it probably instilled in me a healthy caution and some knowledge of fire safety, even as a wee child.
Thinking back, I credit my love for learning French with the early exposure I had to the language on Sesame Street. What a great time to start learning another language and being exposed to another culture within my own country… so much easier than being introduced to it all for the first time as an adult.
As a child, before I knew how to tell time for real, I used to have my own sense of it from my favourite TV shows. If we were on a trip and I asked my parents how long it would be until we got there, they would put it into words I understood, for example, “We’ll be there in one Sesame Street (1 hour), one Mr. Dressup (30 minutes), and one Friendly Giant (15 minutes)!”
I love that Sesame Street is so universal and has touched pretty well every generation alive today. Even if you didn’t watch the show, chances are your children or grandchildren did.
It just occurred to me that before I started seeing the recent Google images popping up I had no idea just how much that show meant to me, and how many fond and happy memories I have surrounding it. Thank you, Sesame Street, for being a part of my life!
