A decade or so ago, I went for a Sunday breakfast at a place in New Smyrna Beach known for big portions of breakfasts. After the 8 mile hikes I was doing at the beach with dawn as my companion on one shoulder or the next, I’d change into a comfortable t-shirt and shorts with flip flops to beat the Church crowd.

I am not a part of the Church crowd. I never have been since I had a choice in the matter.
On this particular day, I was wearing my Kermit the Frog t-shirt.
I had run a bit late, and the Church crowd was coming in as I was leaving and that meant threading past the throngs of people waiting for the tables for their families. They’re always glad to see someone leave, I know, I’ve been on the other side.

A little boy looks up at me, seriously, “Did you wear that to Church?”, seriously, even a little ominously. His face demanded an answer, and I looked up at his parents who were looking at me about as confused as to what the next step should be.
“Yes, I did. But I go to a different Church. I go to the Church of Frog.”, I responded seriously, finding an opening and stepping past them as quickly as I could without looking like I was hurrying.
In the background, the young voice said – you can tell by the sound he was looking up – “Can we go to the Church of Frog?”
I sighed. I likely made it worse for everyone. But it was funny and makes for a good story.

This evening, looking back on it and thinking about all of this, I think those of my age group around the world who had access to television, were indeed indoctrinated into morals and values by a frog. By Kermit The Frog. And maybe that ‘Church of Frog’ thing isn’t so wrong. There were other deities that we were raised by on that television show, but Kermit was in charge even though most of the time it seemed he wasn’t.