You Know You've Made It When You Become a Muppet

     I took a silly quiz on facebook and discovered that my Sesame Street character soul mate is The Count Von Count. Dude, I never even knew The Count’s full name, but he and I might as well be twins. I share The Count’s exuberance when it comes to education, although I’m not as big on math as he is. I love his accent and his house. (Which reminds me, when can I move into the castle?) I love the rain and thunderstorms that The Count’s very presence seems to stir up. Those superimposed numbers in the sky? That sometimes happens to me! I’m also a fan of scary movies, bats, jokes and peanut butter sandwiches—just like him. I like to count, although I’m not as obsessive about it as my Sesame Street familiar. In other words, I was completely satisfied with the results of this quiz, unlike so many I’ve taken before. It quickly dawned on me that any of the Sesame Street characters would’ve been just as enjoyable to be compared to. I mean, even Oscar has his moments. (If you could see my family room right now, you’d see definite parallels—I might as well be living in a trash heap, and I’m accordingly grouchy.)

     The writers of this timeless kids show have cornered the market on taking the absolute best traits of humanity and personifying them with utter brilliance in these lovable muppets. Every character is so relatable. It’s pure genius. There is a lesson to be learned from watching Sesame Street, even at my age. I figure if I could just harness a fraction of this skill in my YA stories, I’d have some truly memorable characters in my books that would appeal to today’s youth and beyond.

     Which got me thinking of the blog I always wanted to write, the one that argues you’ve made it when they base a Muppet on you. In my opinion, only then will you have truly arrived.

     All my friends know I would someday like to be a published author. I’m old enough and I’ve reached enough goals to know that even if this milestone comes to be, I’ll still occasionally fall victim to the same doubts and insecurities I face now. I can tell by following the blogs of authors who have made it. They don’t seem like they've discovered the secret of the universe. They seem like normal, everyday people--relatably human. But if I became a Muppet…

     I can’t help but imagine there is no way I would ever doubt myself again. I would be a FUZZY PUPPET GOD! Interestingly enough, there is another connection between the Muppets and making it big. Amanda Hocking put her first book up on amazon to get enough money to attend an exhibition on Jim Henson, creator of The Muppets. You can read the story here.

     And then scroll through the people already in the hallowed club of Muppetdom.

Richard Belzer

Matt Lauer
 (My husband's lookalike)

Ann Curry

Willard Scott

C-Lo

Al Roker

While I’m super jealous, I won't count myself out. Someday I, too, might end up a Muppet. (Tell me, is that more or less likely than publication?) Until then, I guess I'll have to settle for being The Count on a facebook quiz.