Stephen Boyle remembers his son saying little beyond single words when the boy was a toddler, until one day during a bath came his first full phrase: “‘Sesame Street’ is a production of the Children’s Television Workshop.”
“What a mouthful for a 15-month-old,” said Boyle, a USPS facilities project manager in Denver. “He must have been saving up for that.”
The release of Sesame Street stamps last month has unleashed a flood of memories from Postal Service employees like Boyle who are fans of the groundbreaking children’s television show.
“The characters are unlike any on television — colorful, fun and best of all, relatable,” said Arlington, VA, Staff Counsel/Hearing Officer Zahava Colicelli. “I have shared my love of ‘Sesame Street’ with my daughter. We enjoy traveling to ‘Sesame Street’ exhibits and reading books together featuring the characters. We look forward to celebrating the show for many years to come.”
Other employees value connections to “Sesame Street” that transcend age.
Albuquerque, NM, Business Development Specialist Donald Holt turned 10 shortly after the show debuted in November 1969.
“Even though I was well versed in my ABCs and pretty confident I could count to 100, I was drawn to ‘Sesame Street’ because of the amazing puppetry skills on display,” Holt said.
“I became so enamored with the art form that I bought my first of many puppets, which was a Grover. From birthday parties to postal events to major theatrical performances, I have a lifetime of great puppetry memories — all rooted in those iconic characters.”
New Bedford, PA, Postal Support Employee Sarah Humeniuk gets emotional at 38 over a poignant musical number: Ernie singing “I Don’t Want to Live on the Moon,” which evokes coping with her parents’ divorce.
“The entire ‘Sesame Street’ gang helped me get through that,” Humeniuk said. “It was and still is an amazing show.”
John Hyatt, a Pacific Area writer/editor in San Diego, recalled: “I learned how to count in Spanish and that the world is made up of many wonderfully diverse people and cultures. Those early lessons of kindness, listening, understanding and enjoying our differences influence me still to this day.”
Nashville, TN, Parcel Post Distribution Machine Operator Antoinette Lewis summed up the influence of “Sesame Street” this way:
“I am the person I am today because of that show. It set a strong foundation for me to see people as they are, to seek knowledge and to always have a sunny disposition. Because a sunny day makes everything OK!”