There was a press release from the American Banjo Museum sharing that they would soon open a temporary Muppet exhibit featuring the banjo used in The Muppet Movie and The Muppet Show and that Heather Henson would be in attendance at the ribbon-cutting. Accompanying the press release link was a note from Dave saying "I AM TAKING YOU."
And two weeks later, with much last-minute protesting from me because "there might be crowds" or "I might accidentally annoy Ms. Henson with my presence", we were on our way. We arrived about 30 minutes early and found only a handful of people were there. The staff looked a little stressed, so I introduced myself as a fellow museum director and we chatted a bit. I tried to look at the other cool exhibits, but when I discovered a screen and video loop of Rainbow Connection while watching Ms. Henson arrive and start to greet the museum staff and other visitors, I became focused on just the small area containing multiple panels highlighting Jim Henson's life and career and, of course, the red ribbon being drawn in front of one of the barriers sectioning it off from the rest of the exhibits.
I was especially impressed by an exchange between Ms. Henson and an extremely autistic young adult whose mother had driven him all the way from Tennessee to attend. He did a great imitation of Frank Oz and we all applauded softly. The crowd had grown at this point, but we all seemed to be fellow Muppet fans and somehow, it wasn't as bad as I had feared to be surrounded by a lot of people. During the ribbon cutting, I learned that the Muppet Show banjo had been an eBay find brought to Ms. Henson's attention by a friend. That the banjo museum had been told multiple times that they would not get a model Kermit puppet, but received one to add to their display thanks to Heather Henson and that the miniature banjo it was holding was one used by the 'Jim Henson' puppet that occasionally appeared in the Jim Henson Trio skits on The Muppet Show.
The ribbon was cut. The panels were scrutinized and photographed and I had taken great shots of the Kermit puppet and the infamous Muppet Show banjo. I was already happy and emotional. Dave asked if I wanted to get a photo with Heather Henson since she was circulating among the crowd, making polite conversation, signing autographs, etc...I said I didn't dare. So he asked her for me. I love the photo, but I loved more the five-minute conversation we had about how her father had inspired me, influenced the things I taught my children, turning towards Oklahoma history (Jim Henson's father was from Meeker, OK), the Harn Homestead, and how excited she was to tour Oklahoma City with the director of the Oklahoma History Center later that afternoon. I made sure to keep the conversation brief, as she was very much in-demand that day. But it felt very casual, relaxed, and friendly. And as if it could have gone on for hours if the right time and place had presented itself. I'm sure she is well-practiced at speaking with fans, but she is also Jim Henson's daughter and I like to think his ability to make people feel unique and special and part of something bigger than themselves continues to perpetuate itself in the world and that she is part of that effort. All in all, it was a bucket list item too big for me to have ever actually written down on one and a testament to how much Dave has come to understand me in the last 22 years because I never would have gone, much less dared to approach Ms. Henson while we were there had he not pushed me out the door and asked her for a photo. Looking at the photo critically, the humidity that morning was not my friend and I wish I was about 40 lbs. lighter. And also, I do not care. The morning and the photos are perfect. Thanks Dave. You get me.
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