NEW YORK, Feb 24, 2006 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Bruce Hart, whose "Sesame Street" lyrics are known to generations of TV viewers, has died of lung cancer in New York at age 68. In addition to providing the famous question, "Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street," Hart and his wife, Carole, were writers for the first season of the PBS children's show.Hart went on to write the lyrics for Marlo Thomas' album and TV special, "Free to Be ... You and Me"

His survivors include his wife and a brother.

I think a lot of people misunderstand my position on children. I actually really like kids. Not babies as much because I don't know how to relate to them--which I think is probably a good thing, I mean, an adult shouldn't be able to relate to a baby, right? But I actually like kids. I used to have so much fun working as a teacher's aide and being a camp counselor. I willingly chose to work in the Children's Dept at Barnes and Noble--even with all the kids pooping on the floor and the yuppie customers who harassed me--because I liked being able to help adults choose great books for kids to read (who wants to read Johnny Tremain anyway, I mean really). I love helping children discover their creativity, and right now I love teaching freshmen how to think for themselves. Someday, I think it would be awesome to open a children's book store.

I want to be like Bruce Hart when I grow up. He did all these great things, but he didn't have to have kids in order do things for them. I respect that so much.

Labels: cfbc, childfree by choice, childhood, news, television

( 2comments )

at February 28, 2006 6:28 PM  Lorie said...

When you call people who have children "breeders," it does sound fairly anti-children. I imagine that's the accepted term in child-free-by-choice circles, but it comes across as kind of condescending to me.

 

at February 28, 2006 6:56 PM  Samantha said...

According to Wikipedia entry on Childfree Slang:

Breeder: Generally, someone who has, or intends to have, children. Is often used in a more specific sense to refer to obnoxious parents (in contrast with "parent", below). This is also gay slang for a heterosexual person.

Parent: One with children who behaves in a non-obnoxious manner regarding their children, and who is considered to have brought up those children well. (Some Childfree persons do not make the distinction between this and "breeder", above.)

I do happen to make the distinction. In my mind, there is a distinct difference between a breeder and a parent. I think an extra defining characteristic, though, of breeders should be people who do not think about or realize that they have a choice in having children. Because most people seem to think that it's their duty (religious or otherwise) to procreate. Furthermore, they tend to thrust this way of thinking upon others without children in a strange passive-aggressive form of bullying.

I happen to think my sister-in-law and my new brother-in-law will be parents--not breeders. Doesn't mean that I'm not a little sad that we don't get to spend more time with them just as a couple of couples, though.