For my part, i think i was having a lot of complex thoughts about it. I still remember lots of the characters and skits, oscar being a grouch, big bird getting in to all sorts of relatable kid problems and getting good advice from his friends and from adults. I didn’t get much good advice from well meaning, compassionate adults.

I remember maths and letters from the count and those letter muppets. I remember snuffalafugas having problems. I remember seeing black people and latino people and white people and asian people interacting as friends and neighbors in a normal way, again something i didn’t necessarily see much of as a kid.

I remember bert and ernie showing both annoyance and compassion for each other’s quirks, and modelling a friendship that had problems relatable for kids.

I was a very isolated kid in a lot of ways and while it took years for a lot of the lessons to kick in i think a lot of Sesame Street’s good faith modeling of compassion, curiosity about the world, education as something fun and wonderful, and acceptance of all kinds of people helped me because the angry radicalized political extremist i am to day. I want to build a world like sesame street, with no irony at all. A kind, compassionate, safe world where kids can trust and rely on the adults around them and find joy in life and community and learning.