In Remembrance of Jim Henson

[puppetmaker]

18 years ago I was finishing up my MFA at the YSD. I had a job lined up at the Williamstown Theater festival which started shortly after I graduated. I was doing my last work study as stage crew for "Pygmalion" at the Rep. It was a Wednesday and we had a matinee for school kids. I can remember standing in the green room and hearing the news. I went up to the deck and had a good cry. Various people who knew how much Jim meant to me came up and checked on me.

During the memorial service they read a letter that Jim wrote before he died to be opened and read after his death. The line I will always remember was

Please watch out for each other. Love and forgive everybody. It's a good life. Enjoy it.

I walked out of that service feeling better about my self and the world. Jim may have passed but I knew that his legacy would live on into the ages. And since then I have been trying to be an ambassador for puppets and puppetry. I have tried to educate people about puppets and what they can do. I have taught adults and children. I have created a bunch of people who know how to operate a basic hand and rod puppet. I am trying to pass on my love of puppetry to another generation who won't know a time when Jim Henson was alive.

I have met a lot of people through my love of all things Henson. I have made some serious friends through my work in puppetry. Puppetry has been my touchstone for as long as I can remember and Jim Henson made it shine for me in ways I never thought about.

We still miss you Jim and we honor your memory with our work.

I am grateful that I have people I can talk to about Jim who get the same far away look in their eyes when talking about him and his work.

Comments

[norda.livejournal.com]

::::bowing my head in silent remembrance with you::::

Today is one of my and Michael's anniversaries, and it's been linked with Jim's leave-taking for nearly the entire length of our relationship.

[deltagrl.livejournal.com]

That's a really beautiful post. I always feel sad when I think of him not being around. While his work didn't influence me as much as it did you, I always get such a tender vibe from him when I watch interviews. And I grew up watching the muppets and sesame street. It feels like a father is gone. He's someone I would have loved to have met. And I'm always so jaw-droppingly impressed with the work he did on "The Dark Crystal" and "Labyrinth" that I'm always grateful he got the chance to be as famous as he was.

[paigemom.livejournal.com]

I remember the day very well.

[manifestress.livejournal.com]

I worked for the licensing agent for Cabbage Patch Kids, and one of my fellow employees had worked with Jim Henson - she was very upset and grieved when he passed.

[popfiend.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

Just thanks.

*HUG*

[ladyariyana.livejournal.com]

wow has it really been that long?

I don't do puppets (except bad puppet shows for or with my kids lol.. because I do enjoy wonderful puppets.. and still need to get Breena some starting with a kingly/castley set... OH and then there is the finger puppet bath mitt someone gave me as a gifty with a king knight etc on them. I have been known to do really wierd and bad "puppet" shows with that that do have people laughing.. not sure why lol) anyway, but I always adored Jim and his work.. when he died my oldest son, who was still talking to me and a decent young man, and I were quite upset, and we both cried together. My son had watched the muppet show even as an infant. I found the only way to eat a meal without him on my lap was to out his baby swing in front of the muppet show. I had 1/2 hour if I hurried lol. NO other show did that for him even that young.
Jim was such a wonderful example of what human beings can be.. and he is very much missed in my world..
{{{hugs}}}

[imrygels-ho.livejournal.com]

i cry every time i watch the memorial special they did following his death. he is my number 1 hero. he is so pure and is the kind of person everyone should aspire to be. i loved him as if i knew him and i bawled the day he left us.

[ms-dblk.livejournal.com]

"Please watch out for each other. Love and forgive everybody. It's a good life. Enjoy it."

What wonderful words to live by. We each should listen.

[tru2myart.livejournal.com]

:puts her arms around you: I loved that man. So many of the few memories I have are related to listening to his sweet songs of kindness to others and his tales of fantasy and dreaming. He was an amazing man and he's missed.