the lovers, the dreamers, and me

As we were making her bed this morning, my daughter told me that she believes her three stuffed animals are real - Barky (a dog), Simba (the baby lion from Lion King) and Aslan (passed down after more than 30 years from me to her).   The evidence:  Simba seems to have outgrown his palm leaf/diaper.

A few weeks ago, I lent out a copy of The Velveteen Rabbit to a client. It's a great childrens' book about a stuffed rabbit who longs to be 'real.'  And it's also about love and magic.

And, count me among the fans who saw Harry Potter #7 part 2 at the theater.  The scene that really resonated with me emotionally was where Harry has 'died.'  He finds himself in an in-between, foggy-ish, surreal-ish place reminiscent to him of King's Cross Station.  He asks Dumbledore, who is also there with him -  'is this real?  Or is it all in my mind?'

Dumbledore replies, 'Of course, it's all in your mind.  That doesn't mean it's not real.'

And here comes The Green Album, a tribute to the music of The Muppets - artists like Weezer, My Morning Jacket, etc. cover.  If anyone walks the uncomfortable line between real and not real, it's Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie, and the gang.  Wasn't it (and isn't it) amazing to watch the human actors interact with  the muppets, whether you watch on Sesame Street or the Muppet Show?  When we were talking about this album, my sister even said, 'who isn't a little in love with Kermit?'

Why is it that a kid's world is so easily magical and the adults world is so fraught with the question, the need to have absolute knowledge that anything worthy is real as measured by an objective standard? 

What about the lyrics to The Rainbow Connection?

have you been half asleep and
have you heard voices? 
I've heard them calling my name. 
Is this the sweet sound that calls the young sailor?
The voice might be one and the same. 
I've heard it too many times to ignore it;
it's something that I'm s'pposed to be.
Someday we'll find it.  The rainbow connection -
the lovers, the dreamers, and me.

If we just listen, don't we know it's true?  Maybe there's a difference between true and real.  Maybe things aren't as complicated as we make them. 

I believe that if we try to stop the chatter in our brains, we can listen to something essential to ourselves.  We inherently posses in us a deep peace that knows beyond inadequate words like real or unreal.  And when we let ourselves stop that distracting chatter, we can also let go and have a little fun. 

Let's take some time to listen  http://www.npr.org/2011/08/14/138984517/first-listen-muppets-the-green-album 

In keeping with the theme, may I particularly recommend I'm Going to Go Back There Someday.  The last song on the album.