Mopey meets a Muppet

Suddenly, summer rushes onto the Long Meadow. There are canopies of leaves to sit under, and warm sun to bake in. The oak leaves are still tiny, a grey-green haze, but the pure aqueous scents of daffodil and magnolia petals have been replaced by an earthy meadow bouquet of fresh-cut grass, yarrow and lilac.

All this I wallowed in during a break from 10 miles of cycling. My century ride for leukemia/lymphoma is in two weeks, and today both my heart and legs felt heavy as lead; why, after months of training indoors and out, haven't I gotten more gain for the pain? Maybe if I had a personal trainer, stronger knees, 15 fewer pounds, more time...maybe if I hadn't had bronchitis for 10 days...I would not be passed by every other cyclist in Prospect Park, even when pedaling my hardest. I've made some great progress—better posture, stronger center, I can even do push-ups for the first time in my life—but none of it seems to make much difference on a bicycle, even a new one. I'm attempting this event in honor of my father, who was an indefatigable optimist, and as I slumped under a big tree and gnawed a banana, I tried once again to focus on the positive. But it was my mother's voice—angry, fearful, fatalistic—that kept rising to the surface. You should have known. You should never have tried this. You'll look an awful fool if people gave all that money and then you can't finish the thing.

I got back on my bike for one more round, and passed a film crew on the East Drive. Any stars on set? Yes...Muppets! My disappointment at not running into George Clooney was assuaged by witnessing this delightful encounter between Muppeteer and awestruck fan. (Yes, he did the character's voice, shook hands, the works.) The shot involved this little purple critter repeating some word in Spanish. 

Somehow, it is difficult to remain mired in self-pity when you have stumbled onto a live Muppet.

It's not easy being green
It seems you blend in
With so many other ordinary things
And people tend to pass you over
'Cause you're not standing out
Like flashy sparkles in the water
Or stars in the sky

But green's the color of spring
And green can be cool and friendly-like
And green can be big like an ocean
Or important like a mountain
Or tall like a tree

When green is all there is to be
It can make you wonder why
But why wonder why wonder?
I am green, and it'll do fine
It's beautiful, and I think it's what I want to be

          "Bein' Green,"  by Joe Raposo*

* Raposo, a popular Sesame Street composer, died in 1989 of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma before his 53rd birthday.