Cut from the same cloth as Laurel and Hardy, Bert and Ernie are Sesame Street’s classic comedic duo. They were the only Muppets to appear in the 1969 pilot episode. Their appearance was the only segment that tested well, which led to the decision that Muppet characters would be the “stars” of the show.
Over the years, Bert and Ernie have helped many kids strengthen their math and language skills while learning about important concepts like sharing and cooperation. Even though the show is geared toward children, there are actually some pretty good lessons we can all learn about dealing with Adultitis from our old friends residing at 123 Sesame Street…
1) Take More Baths
One of Ernie’s favorite things to do is take baths with his rubber duckie. (Did you know that his performance of “Rubber Duckie” landed him at No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 in September 1970?)
We don’t take enough baths these days. In our society, most young children take baths. Most adults take showers. Is it any surprise that kids are way less stressed than most adults?
When Kim and I give Lucy a bath (which she loves), the getting clean part is a byproduct. To Lucy, splashing around and having fun are the main attractions. Her little fingers and toes turn to raisins long before she’s ready to get out.
For us adults, it’s a different story. Showers trump baths because they fit better into our busy lifestyle. We’ve even combined shampoo and conditioner in order to streamline the process even further. It takes time to enjoy a good bath, and nobody has much of that these days.
[ Interesting fact: The amount of time in an average day in 1909 compared to 2009 has decreased by an alarming 0%. ]
Ironically, the exact way to create more time and experience more balance is by doing less. The genius of utilizing the bath for sinking stress is precisely the fact that it requires time. Time that can be used to stop. To think. To breathe. To be.
Ernie has always known that baths are where it’s at.
2) Hang Out with Childlike People
One of the things that keeps strait-laced Bert from experiencing full-blown Adultitis is the fact that he hangs out with Ernie. Ernie keeps Bert in balance. Just imagine how much worse Bert would be if he hung out with Oscar the Grouch all day long!
There are certain people who have the uncanny ability to suck the life, optimism, and energy out of any room they enter. My friend Lisa calls these people Energy Vampires.
The sad truth is that Adultitis is contagious. The good news is that so is a childlike spirit. If you want to decrease the Adultitis in your life, hang out with more Ernies and less Oscars.
3) Have a Hobby
Bert has a long list of hobbies and interests, including playing checkers with his pet pigeon, Bernice, and collecting bottle caps and paper clips. Bert also loves brass band music, oatmeal, weather forecasts and playing the tuba. Ernie’s favorite hobby seems to be playing practical jokes on Bert.
We all need hobbies as a way of releasing stress. Carving a little “me” time into your day is imperative in your fight against Adultitis. Sure, the amount of time might look different for a stay-at-home mom of five compared to a retired widower, but fifteen minutes a day, or a solid hour or two a week can go a long way. Hobbies help recharge us and fill us up, and you can’t help anybody else if you’ve got nothing left to give.
I believe a good hobby is 1) pretty much anything that you enjoy doing just because, and 2) something that gives you a bit of a a mental or physical workout. Things like Scrapbooking. Building a model railroad. Gardening. Golfing. Photography. Woodworking. Cooking. Scuba diving. And yes, even playing the tuba.
(And no, watching TV for three or more hours a day is NOT a good hobby.)
4) Be Quirky
Okay, so Bert’s hobbies are a little weird. Bottle caps? Oatmeal? Did I mention that he is also the President of the National Association of W Lovers?
Guess what?
Everybody is a little weird.
We all have our own quirks that make us unique. For instance, I have an unhealthy admiration for a fictional character named Horatio Caine. I’ve named every Mac I’ve ever owned. (So far I’ve welcomed Godfather, Ferris, Superman, and Castor into the family.) I enjoy watching wrestling documentaries with my brother. I am a font nerd.
The surest path to a serious case of Adultitis is trying to keep up with what everyone else is interested in while suppressing your own interests and idiosyncrasies. You weren’t born to blend in.
Be you.
The people in life who are most liked, most successful, and most happy are those who are not afraid to be themselves. They are comfortable in their own skin, even if their skin is made of fabric.
So there you have it. Some pretty big life lessons from a couple of humble Muppets. What did I miss? What’s something you’ve learned about life from Bert and Ernie?
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One of my favorite quotes goes well with the idea of being quirky:
“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… the ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules… You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.” ~ Steve Jobs
And…I keep a rubber duckie on my desk…(although maybe that’s the wrong place…)
Lance,
Love, love, LOVE that Steve Jobs quote. It has been quite an inspiration for me over the years!
The rubber duckie on the desk is a fine idea, but it can be quite hazardous to their health if they are out of water for too long!
Jason:
Awesome post! I’m amazed you know so much about Bert’s hobbies — I trust you’ve done a lot of research while you watched with Lucy. I know there’s also a new Sesame Street coffee table book that is out…even at my “advanced” age, I feel compelled to get it because of the kid in me. I agree with you, big time, about quirkiness– our world needs more of it!
Yes, Kim saw me watching some Sesame Street videos online the other day. I love that I have a job in which what is a diversion for most people is actually research for me. It doesn’t get any better than that!
Jason! Great post. How much do you love that your “work” is watching Sesame St? You know you have done something right when….
I loved (still do) Bert and Ernie as a kid…I was a big Ernie fan.
I think there was something so true about the characters, as if the authors had boiled down the essence of what was important. Ernie always reminded me to play…and that being goofy is a prized value…and to love people above all else.
I can not tell you how amazing it is to find people like you out here in the world. I mean, we PLAY for a living. You definitely would have been able to come into my clubhouse…fo’sho’
Katie
Katie,
Yep, hard to believe this is my job. How lucky are we?!
I’m definitely happy that we’ve crossed paths. I think there are some awesome adventures ahead for us both!
I love Bert and Ernie, even as a grownup I see them in the eyes of my youth. One important lesson I have learned from them is the goodness of life. They take everything as it is and they make their moments happy and meaningful. :-)
Thanks for the comment, Walter. Great to have you here! (Nice name, by the way…that’s my middle and my Dad’s first name!) It’s amazing how watching a clip or two of Bert and Ernie instantly takes me back to childhood.
Absolutely love it!! In case I haven’t said it before, you guys are brilliant!
Thanks, man! I’m pretty sure it takes brilliance to recognize brilliance, so you’re right up there too, Joe!
Bert & Ernie are great! :-) We had the album with Ernie singing “Rubber Duckie”
I just remembered when I was little – I had an Ernie puppet.
I would put him on and try to get my big sister to lighten up. ;-)
I could do a pretty good Ernie impression. :-D
I think that Ernie’s free & easy spirit is what I loved the most!
My Dad does a pretty good Ernie impression too…at least it seemed god when we were little :)