My husband Daniel and I were stuck on the highway going into Manhattan. The traffic was at a standstill, our baby was crying in the backseat and our toddler was complaining that she was hungry. I gripped the seat as tightly as I could and closed my eyes.
“I think you know what time it is,” I said to Daniel.
“What?”
I opened Spotify and picked a song. The jolly melody began. Kermit the Frog and Fozzie Bear belted out:
Movin’ right along in search of good times and good news
With good friends you can’t lose
This could become a habit!
Opportunity knocks once let’s reach out and grab it (yeah!)
Together we’ll nab it
We’ll hitchhike, bus or yellow cab it!
Cab it?
We sang along. Our toddler bobbed her head and the baby settled down. Thank goodness, I thought, and smiled.
Over the summer, Daniel and I had decided that “Movin’ Right Along” was Our Song. We took a road trip to Lake Tahoe with our toddler, baby and two dogs in our packed car. It was a 450-mile drive that typically takes seven-and-a-half hours. At nine hours, we weren’t there yet.
Everybody was cranky. Our dogs had to go to the bathroom. Our kids wouldn’t stop crying. My entire body hurt from being in the car for so long.
To lighten the mood, Daniel turned on this Muppets classic. We sang it and laughed and instantly felt better. From then on, whenever we were stuck in the car or on a road trip that just wouldn’t end, we blared this song and bounced along.
If you aren’t familiar, “Movin’ Right Along” is from “The Muppet Movie,” the first Muppets film. It came out in 1979 and tells the story of Kermit and the rest of the Muppets traveling to California to make it big in the movie industry.
During this musical number, Kermit and Fozzie hilariously keep getting lost and taking the wrong turns at every move. They come to a literal fork in the road, end up in Canada and encounter Big Bird, who says he’s going to New York City “to try to break into public television!”
Here’s my absolute favorite part:
California here we come, the pie-in-the-sky-land
Palm trees, and warm sand
Though sadly we just left Rhode Island
We did what?!
Just forget it
This is so much more than a silly song from a kids’ movie. “Movin’ Right Along” has become my motto for life. It’s a fun and funny tune that cheers me up when I’m feeling down. When I’ve just gone through something challenging, I turn this on and think, “Well, life goes on! Movin’ right along!”
Life has so many twists and turns. You have to go with the flow and be resilient. I’m constantly amazed at how people who have gone through difficult situations get back up and keep on living.
The song also teaches us the old lesson, “Life is a journey, not a destination.” We may feel lost at times, but it’s part of it. It makes us stronger. Kermit and Fozzie don’t let their challenges stop them. They keep on going and eventually make it to Los Angeles with their entire gang of Muppets. Then, you know what happens next: They become superstars!
Isn’t that a cute metaphor for the importance of faith? Sometimes in life, we’re able to see why bad things happen to us; they actually turn out to be for the good. This has happened to me plenty of times. It’s important to believe in those tougher moments that something good might come out of them.
So, the next time you’re going through something difficult, try to stop and think: Maybe this is going to turn out OK. Maybe it’ll even turn out great.
And, of course, turn on “Movin’ Right Along” and trust that you’ll get to where you need to go. Even if you have to hitchhike, bus or yellow cab it.
Feeling footloose and fancy-free? Email me! Kylieol@JewishJournal.com.
Kylie Ora Lobell is the Community Editor at the Jewish Journal.
