This is, I realize, a PEAK Gen X nerd out, but… I follow Muppet History on Facebook. I just saw this post about Sweetums today. Sweetums was always one of my favorites and the reason I always preferred The Muppet Show to Sesame Street. (Sweetums but also the old guys (Statler and Waldorf), and the guy that shot fish out of cannons. And Pigs in Space. Actually nevermind, I loved all of it.)

Anyway, the post reminded me of a little vignette of a memory. The first time I saw The Muppet Movie as a child I was quite distressed when Sweetums got left behind. I was so upset about it I basically missed the rest of the movie, worrying about him. Spoiler Alert! He finally catches up at the end and it’s set up to be a funny moment because you were supposed to forget and then go, “Oh yeah, Sweetums!” But my reaction was more like, “Oh thank God! He’s okay!” I can practically see myself finally pushing back from the front inch of the couch and letting my little butt cheeks relax for the first time in 45 minutes.

In retrospect, I probably should have figured out earlier than my 30s that I have generalized anxiety disorder.

About Rachel Lewis

I am a writer, ceramic artist, knitter, and stepmom. As a playwright, I had six short plays produced in showcases and festivals in Manhattan, Salt Lake City, and Austin. My full-length play, Locking Doors, was presented by Wordsmith Theatre Company in The New Lab Theatre (University of Utah) in 2005. I co-wrote a teleplay titled “Thank God I’m Atheist” which won the 2015 “No God But Funny” contest founded by the Center for Inquiry. My short nonfiction essay, “It’s Coming Down,” was published by the online literary magazine Halfway Down the Stairs. My essay "The Red Rock Chronicles" was published in Contemporary West magazine. I currently work in pharmaceuticals professionally and write recreationally, but dream of making the transition to write professionally and do pharmaceuticals recreationally. I am a Utah native and live in Salt Lake City with my family and our Goldendoodle. I am working on a collection of humorous non-fiction essays and a second full-length play. Follow me at: rachelclewis.com @rachel_lewis_ut (Twitter) @rachel_lewis_ut (Instagram)

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