Having to spend each day the color of the leaves
When I think it could be nicer being red, or yellow, or gold
Or something much more colorful like that
It's not easy being green
It seems you blend in with so many other ordinary things
And people tend to pass you over
'Cause you're not standing out
Like flashy sparkles in the water
Or stars in the sky
But green's the color of spring
And green can be cool and friendly-like
And green can be big like a mountain
Or important like a river
Or tall like a tree
When green is all there is to be
It could make you wonder why
But why wonder why wonder
I am green, and it'll do fine
It's beautiful, and I think it's what I want to be
At various times in my life, I've had the desire to be red, or yellow, or gold, or something more colorful - not ordinary green. I'm quite sure it's a universal feeling. But then, reason takes over and I say to myself, "What's so bad about being green?" After all, green is verdant, green is growth, green is lush and flourishing! Who wouldn't want to be green?
This past summer a friend of mine let me borrow a book on CD called It's Not Easy Being Green: And Other Things to Consider by Jim Henson, the Muppets and Friends and recently, I added a Jim Henson picture book biography to my libraryland collection called Jim Henson: The Guy Who Played with Puppets by Kathleen Krull. Other than the fact that he was the creator of the Muppets, I really new very little about this amazing puppeteer.
After listening to and reading these stories, anecdotes, quotes, and facts, Jim Henson emerged as someone I really didn't think him to be - quite extraordinary. His positive perspective, his desire to follow his dreams, his focus on his family, his forthright yet encouraging approach to colleagues, his effort to be the best he could be, his amazing creativity...
When I was three years old, the Children's Television Network began a new show and enlisted Henson's help. He hesitated, but then agreed. Sesame Street was born and children for years to come would grow up with Oscar, Bert, Ernie, and the gang. The children viewers may not have known Henson, but they sure knew his characters. Sesame Street has since aired in 120 countries.
Henson's Muppets weren't limited to children though. They've opened for Saturday Night Live and have interviewed notables such as Linda Ronstadt, Harry Belafonte, Rita Moreno, Florence Henderson, Harvey Korman, Lena Horne, Candace Bergen, Vincent Price, Don Knotts, Ethel Merman, Steve Martin, Dom DeLuise, Loretta Lynn, Racquel welch, John Denver, Dudley Moore, Christopher Reeve, Johnny Cash and many others.
I wonder if Henson ever thought of being red, yellow, gold or something more colorful. Even though it's hard to imagine, I have to think he did; after all, he wrote Kermit's song. I guess that just proves that it's universal. Regardless of one's success or lack there of, being something other than what we are seems appealing. However, after reflection and thought, just like Kermit (aka Jim Henson) says "I am green, and it'll do fine. It's beautiful, and I think it's what I want to be."
Afterall, green is so versatile. It's emerald, chartreuse, sage, forest, lime, kelly, moss, olive, apple, aquamarine, pine, jade, verdigris, malachite... How could one ask for more?
Today's photos are cropped and close up and GREEN! I remember as a kid looking at zoomed-in-close photos in magazines and the objective was to try to guess what the whole picture was. These were so much fun for me. Maybe it was a foreshadowing of my fascination with photography. Anyway, take a look at the above photos again, see if you guess what they are, and then check yourself by taking a look at the photos, in their entirety, below.
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