“ Someday we ’ ll find it , the rainbow connection , the lovers , the dreamers , and me .”
~ Kermit the Frog
KERMIT ’ S WORLD : A car drives down a country road . There ’ s nothing strange about this — it ’ s just a little blue guy , Gonzo , and his pet chicken , Camilla .
OK , OK , that ’ s incredibly strange , but don ’ t take us out of the scene .
From the other direction , a car leisurely drives down the same road — a frog and a bear driving to Hollywood to pursue their dreams . Completely normal .
I know . Hold on ; there ’ s a payoff here .
The two cars get into an accident , but not like any accident we ’ ve seen before . Gonzo ’ s car ends up on top of Kermit ’ s and Fozzie ’ s car — and upside down . He and Camilla make it safely to Fozzie ’ s backseat somehow ( yes , the car is still moving ), and Gonzo talks about his dream . He wants to move to Bombay , India , to become a movie star . Fozzie tells him that he should join them in Hollywood . Gonzo , considering the advice , replies , “ Sure , if you want to do it the easy way .”
A perplexed look spreads across Fozzie ’ s face as he deadpans , “ We picked up a weirdo .”
This scene always makes me laugh . Fozzie ’ s delivery is perfect . You ’ re bound to run into these moments when three very different personalities work together toward a common goal . It causes me to reflect on the oft-recreated opening of The Muppet Movie — Kermit as he strums his banjo and sings “ The Rainbow Connection .”
As Kermit sings , “ the lovers , the dreamers , and me ,” I can ’ t help but envision the ragtag group of Muppets that he leads . While he gets exasperated ( cue the classic Kermit arm-flailing scream ), he never gives up on his ... ummm … people ?
Think of the countless adventures of our amphibious , green friend . His friends include not only Gonzo and Fozzie , but Miss Piggy , Animal , Scooter , Beaker , Rowlf , and the Swedish Chef , among many more . There are so many eccentric personalities , yet Kermit found a way to lovingly showcase all of their talents in one show . No one was out of place .
OUR WORLD : Last year was a hard year . It ’ s OK if we take a moment to say that out loud . After such a year , it may feel like we are more divided than ever .
I defer to Kermit as he sang , “ Somebody thought of that , and someone believed it . Look what it ’ s done so far .”
Simple , yet profound . We have the choice in how we respond . As people connected by the magic that Walt Disney created , we reject the idea that division is beyond repair . We dream of a better tomorrow , together .