Getting To (and Giving To) Sesame Street

by Paul Semendinger

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I am among the first generation of Sesame Street kids.  I grew up (in a sense) with (and even on) Sesame Street.  Ernie, Bert, Oscar the Grouch, Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, Kermit the Frog, Bob, Maria, Mr. Hooper, and the others were all a big part of my childhood.  I felt like Sesame Street was part of my suburban neighborhood in northern New Jersey. The characters were my friends, even if I didn’t know thm personally.

I learned a lot by watching Sesame Street.  While I credit the wonderful picture book Crash, Bang, Boom for teaching me first how to read, I did learn a lot about the alphabet and numbers, and so much more, from the people, the monsters, and the other characters on Sesame Street.

I loved Sesame Street… and still do.

I raised three boys of my own.  All three are now grown men, but when they were little, we watched a lot of Sesame Street together.  Sesame Street became part of their childhood. We watched the shows together, we sang the songs, and on a couple of special occasions, we even visitied Sesame Place in Pennsylvania.

Sesame Street promoted (and promotes) values such as kindness, respect, friendship, and love.  It was, and is, a wonderful program. Children learn to be good people as they learn about letters and numbers by watching this very special program.

I am now a grandpa of wonderful baby twins. They already have a stuffed Cookie Monster and a stuffed Elmo. With my help, those characters sings songs to the babies. I also sit them by my side at my piano as I play and sing such wonderful songs (from the orinigal Sesame Street Songbook, which also dates back to my childhood) as C is for Cookie,  Rubber Ducky, The People of the Neighborhood, and Sing to them. Sing is one of the most wonderful songs I know.  It’s simple.  It’s beautiful.  It’s perfect.  (I’m singing it in my head as I write this…)

When I was growing up, one of my first record albums was the very first Sesame Street soundtrack.  I remember the photo of Oscar on the cover showed him as an orange monster rather than the green he became.  I loved the songs from Sesame Street.  Again, I still do.  

I was very fortunate to have a most wonderful brother-in-law, Mark who had special needs.  Mark was one of the kindest people the world has ever known.  My heart is still sad, and a bit empty because he passed away, at 60-years-old, last February.  My life, and my wife’s life, will never quite be the same.    Mark also loved Sesame Street.  We watched it together laughing at the antics of the characters.

My memories of Sesame Street go on and on.  I had an Oscar the Grouch puppet as a child.  One of my son Alex’s favorite stuffed animals was his Big Bird.  Before I retired as a principal, my son Ryan made a most special video of Kermit the Frog singing Rainbow Connection for me to show the students in my school.  

Even as I grow and age, Sesame Street remains part of our lives.  

Sesame Street has filled my life with happiness, kindness, positive learning, good values, and so much more.  The Sesame Workshop continues to promote all of this, and more, worldwide bringing joy to millions.

As many people know, I am a runner – a marathoner.  In November I’ll be running my 26th marathon and my 11th in New York City.  

This year I am running to support the Sesame Workshop.  Unlike most runners who run for charities so that they get into the race, I am not running with them to get in the race.  I am already in.  With or without the Sesame Workshop, I’ll be running those 26.2 miles through the five boroughs of New York on the first Sunday in November.  

I am running to support the Sesame Workshop because I believe in their mission.  I am running to support the Sesame Workshop because I want to give back to Sesame Street for all they have given to me, for more than 55 years.  I am running to support the Sesame Workshop as a way to remember my dear brother-in-law, my best friend, Mark, and to help assure that their quality programming will be available to my grandchildren.

I am running for the Sesame Workshop because I hope millions of others will benefit from the positive impact of their work going forward just as I have.

I hope you can help me support Sesame by clicking on this link and giving generously.

Thank you!