Aging

  I can't call him a childhood friend, I'm too old for that. But Sid is celebrating his birthday today. Sid is fifty-eight. Born in 1966 I was already thirteen and Saturday mornings were being taken up with other things besides the cartoons. There were ball games to play, fishing to be done and girls to impress. I'd say I enjoyed moderate success with most of those endeavors. I admit I don't believe I was impressing to many of the ladies though, but it was still a fun activity. Hey, you don't have to be a professional at everything to enjoy it. I can't paint a picture either, but it doesn't stop me from trying. 

  So, who is Sid? Everyone knows him these days, he has become quite the popular character. He isn't the best choice as a role model for healthy eating but really enjoys his snacks. It wasn't until 2004 when he was thirty-eight that he revealed his name was Sid. He also has a family, including a sister. He has a pet as well, a hamster. Oh, he is blue. Have you guessed yet? Yes, it's Cookie Monster! He lives on Sesame Street. But we all know that don't we. I was surprised to discover he was fifty-eight years old today. I thought to myself, man you're older than the Cookie Monster! It sort of puts the world into perspective. The vast majority of my childhood cartoon characters are older than me. That's the way it is supposed to be. 

  I must have watched Sesame Street with my kids although it isn't anything I remember doing. But how else would I know about the show and the characters on there if I hadn't. Personally, I liked the count. Do you know why I liked the count? Because he liked to count things, that's why. My knowledge of the other characters and what stories they were telling is very little. I must not have been paying attention. Occasionally I have heard on the news when changes were made to sesame street. Generally, they were social changes like adding a disabled character or something like that. Whatever created some controversary. 

 Sesame street has become a vehicle for social change. Really, they are attempting to teach the children the same lessons I learned from my cartoons. It is only in the manner of teaching that lesson that has changed. I was taught to be tolerate of those with visual impairments. I had Mr. Magoo for that. The chicken hawk pursuing Foghorn Leghorn taught me confidence and to pursue my dreams. Foghorn taught me what a bully was, although he was a likable bully. A sort of Alpha male, I guess. The little rascals showed diversity and inclusiveness. Superman stood for truth, justice and the American way! I learned more Opera music from Bugs Bunny cartoons that I ever learned in school. Large women wearing horned hats and chest plates! That's Opera. 

  I haven't watched Sesame Street in many years now. The grandkids would watch occasionally. The difference is they didn't have to wait until Saturday morning to do that. With the grandkids it is all cartoons, all the time. It has all become, on demand! Perhaps that is why so many young people today lack patience. Instant gratification is the order of the day. But I have found when you get what you want immediately it often isn't as much fun as you thought it was going to be. For instance, I turned on the cartoon shows on Saturday morning, and I had to watch what was offered. Take it or leave it. 

  There was no alternative choice. The choice was mine to make. Today children can choose from literally hundreds of choices, all available, all the time. I'm not so sure that is a good thing. It certainly makes it harder to form an attachment in my opinion. Could be why so many are so willing to give up on relationships of all types. This doesn't please you all the time, I've seen this cartoon before, so I'll just find a new one. Kids do tend to simply grab at the first shiny thing they see. That is being carried over into adulthood these days. That's my thinking anyway. 

  I don't know why, but somehow, I feel older knowing that Cookie Monster is now fifty-eight. I get that same feeling when I realize the grandkids are in their twenties. A little while ago it was 1995. My car is a 2004 and seems modern enough to me. It's new enough that I don't understand all the electronics in it. Mickey Mouse, Popeye, Bugs and friends have always been around and haven't changed much over the years. It's a comfort. My parents were a part of what has been called the greatest generation. My generation is the last before Cookie Monster. Yeah, our children all moved to Sesame Street. And ACME, the company that supplied the Wiley Coyote has been replaced by Amazon. And yes, I'm older than Amazon too. That was founded in 1994. Amazon is twenty-nine. Yeah, Happy Birthday Sid.