Sesame Street now has a warning label...Adults Only.

(Cheetah Mask)

According to a New York Times article, some of the characters and situations go against today's politically correct standards for pre-schoolers. Big Bird hallucinates. Cookie Monster has an eating disorder. Oscar the Grouch has an anger management problem.

I've watched Sesame Street since its beginning and loved its creativity, imagination and ability to teach and entertain children of all ages. I've watched my own children watch, laugh and learn from Big Bird, Cookie Monster and Oscar the Grouch. I see this new labeling as another way to take childhood away from children.

A child's imagination needs to be nurtured and encouraged so that a child grows up to be creative. Yes, Big Bird has an imaginary friend, Mr. Snuffleupagus. How many children grew up out there with a friend called, "Barbie", "Ken" or "GI Joe"? How many children carried their favorite stuffed animal everywhere they went, served them tea, put them to bed at night? Many of these same children grew up to be able to create characters in novels, plays or paintings.

Child's play is creative learning. A child's kitchen serves plastic food to imaginary diners who lick their plates, wear silly hats and invite bears to tea. This is a way for children to experiment and explore the world around them so that they grow up with more understanding. Yes, Cookie Monster gobbles cookies. How many children pretend to gobble plastic food? Cookie Monster is playing pretend. All the children get that and they love it. It fosters humor, imagination and creativity. Not unhealthy eating.

Children learn about feelings through play, too. They have arguments with their dolls, trucks and stuffed toys. Yes, Oscar the Grouch is grouchy and rude. So are children sometimes. By watching Oscar be grouchy, they can understand their own feelings and the consequences of acting on those feelings.

Sesame Street nutures children's imagination while teaching valuable lessons on life, creativity and the world around us. And one of its most important lessons is NOT to label anyone or anything but to accept and respect the creativity, imagination, intelligence and feelings of everyone in this world.

ANOTHER QUESTION: Can art change healthscare into healthcare?




ANOTHER QUOTE: "The essential conditions of everything you do must be choice, love, passion." Nadia Boulanger


(Mini-muses: Music, Art, Spirit)


Musing about my healthscare experience, the quote from Andrew Worrall, I wondered what could I do other than fight the fears with what I hope is possible. Then I thought about what I do as an artist and how the arts have become so divided from everyday life...hung on walls, put on pedestals, locked behind glass.


I felt there was a missing link here. Art as a way to health and care for everyone. Art off the walls, down from the pedestals and into the hands, hearts and bedsides of everyone.

I thought about the need for care in the healthcare system...care carts that feed the senses to facilitate calm, health and comfort. Having choices available that stimulated the senses in a positive way...Music for hearing...Nature books, videos for seeing...Warm/Cool textured pillow/blankets for touching...Aromatherapy for smelling...well you get the idea. Perhaps these already exist...but maybe more could be done?

I thought about the role of art in healing. I wandered back in time to our tribal roots and envisioned the role of art in that setting to heal. Music, dance and drumming to work the stress out of muscles, bones and mind...Smells from oils and herbs that soothed...Colors in clothing, jewelry, blankets to warm the heart...Patterns/textures in pottery, utensils, shelters to bring out feelings of safety, protection. All this art contributed to health and was important for health and well-being. As important and intrinsic to survival as food and shelter.

Then I happened upon this quote on another blog http://www.reihlife.com/ and saw a connection. "The essential conditions of everything you do must be choice, love, passion." These wise words from Nadia Boulanger, a famous musician, composer and teacher so clearly speak to the importance of art in everyday life. There's the missing link.

A new healthcare practice: Everyday put the care back into everything I do...that is healthy.

A QUOTE: "Lack of resistance to what you hope is possible."

A QUESTION: What does this mean to you?

(Sun mask: brass repousse')

This quote is from Ambrose Worrall, a Christian faith healer. I read it on Deb Robson's blog, http://www.independentstitch.typepad.com/ and it hit me like a bucket of cold water poured over my head. Suddenly, things around me looked different. I felt different. I was shocked, awake, refreshed and relieved all at the same time.

Seems a lot for a simple quote to do? Let me explain.

I had just spent over 4 hours at my local medical center undergoing annual tests, a blood test and a mamagram. I am an old-hand at these tests, been doing them for almost 2 decades now due to 'family history'. But this time was different. I had been asked to come back for 'additional views' for my mamagram. I went through the process again and waited as usual. Then the wait got longer and longer.

It was scary to wait. But what was even more scary, were the conversations going on outside my little waiting room. These women were trading horror stories about tests upon tests upon tests that ultimately lead to nothing. No cancer. No problems.

Good news, right? Yes and No.

Good news...we were all right. Healthy. Fine. Bad news...we were so scared. It made me mad that once again our Healthcare system was actually a Healthscare system. Preying on the fears of innocent, healthy people.

I realized how much I had been resisting the Healthscare fears. And that's good, because it's unhealthy to buy into it, I've seen it happen and it's not pretty. But I also realized that my very resistance was setting up a dam that was, perhaps, keeping out some healthy, caring energy. I know the care energy is out there, like sunlight waiting for me to absorb.

The question remained. How could I keep my boundaries up toward the Healthscares and be open to the Health-caring energy.

After reading the quote, I saw a way out. A rope thrown to me in this sea of fear...with the phrase...'what you hope'. A light...with the word...'possible'.

The quote was in response to a question to the faith healer asking if he required a faith in God or religion for the person to be healed. The response was that he what he really needed from the person was faith which he defined as "a lack of resistance to what you hope is possible."

In other words, opening up to the hope of health, the possibility of good energy, good times and a good life now and in the future! I hope this has given you an idea of what might be possible for you, too.