I found inspiration in the most likely place, the biography of Jim Henson.  I have been a Muppet fan for most of my life, from the Muppet Show, to Fraggle Rock, and of course my favorite movie being Labyrinth.  I love that feeling of sheer joy every time I see a Muppet character on screen, and more than that, I love how I can re-watch a movie years later and find some new little detail or innovation.  I love that sense of childhood wonder, with an adult understanding of all the hard work and boundary pushing that went into each and every piece of work that Jim Henson created.  Now why would I decide to write about my love for Muppets on my relationship blog other than because it makes me happy?  Quite simply, I was inspired by how he viewed life and all the human beings around him.

I could spend post after post, complaining about how we no longer connect with our fellow man.  That as we become more globally connected we become more individually isolated.  It is a phenomenon that has been predicted in countless books, and philosophised by numerous people over the past decade and I for one see so many daily indications of it that it is hard to ignore.  And just when I was becoming a little jaded and irritated about the whole scene, I began reading this amazing book (thanks of course to E!).  I began reading the story of man who lived his entire life without ever losing his sense of wonder.  Who never stopped challenging himself and his team to push the boundaries of technology, and was a creative genius to the end.  All with the one simple idea that we must love each other and be good to our fellow man.  Not preachy, just hopeful.  The type of man who was quiet, yet self assured and when he walked into a room everyone wanted to be noticed by him. 

I was rejuvenated after reading about his life and all of the amazing things he accomplished for purely unselfish reasons.  He challenged himself because he loved to explore and expand his chosen field.  He wanted to try to push his medium because he believed in himself completely.  And isn’t that precisely what we should all be striving for?  In our work, in our alone time, and of course in the relationships that we have with those around us?  By believing in ourselves first and foremost, and pushing ourselves to accomplish what we believe in.   

I sit here writing, surrounded by a group of people physically pushing themselves to the extremes of human sport.  They were students, and now adventures, trying to find new ways to fly.  While I push myself to document every aspect that I can.  Learning the very difficult art of action filming to capture all their hard work and determination.  That leap from passive viewer, to active participant in a community that I didn’t  even know existed 5 years ago.  Passion for life, passion to be the best you can, to keep learning and never stop innovating and thinking.  Thank you Jim Henson, for living the best way you knew how.  I have cherished your creations, with wide eyed wonder, and fascination, and now by having a better understanding of your life, I am even more inspired to continue my path.