Puppet Party Pooper

I'm a little traumatized by puppets.

When I was a small boy there was a children's TV show here in Kansas City called Torey Time. The host, Torey Southwick had this sidekick named Ol' Gus. Gus was an old man with white hair, a checked shirt and glasses and he was about 10 inches tall. Gus would open every show by being surprised by the camera while reading or something and then he'd shout "Hey Torey, the kids are here!" I was a big fan. When the movie "The Love Bug" premiered at the Uptown Theater in our midtown neighborhood, Torey and Old Gus were scheduled to make a special live appearance. My older sister Becky and I walked up to the theater for the big show. And sure enough, there was Ol' Gus, sitting on a low wall in the lobby. I was thrilled. Then Becky dropped her bombshell. Gus, she told me, was in fact a puppet and not a 10" tall old man. She even showed me the guy squatting behind the wall who was operating Gus. I was devastated. I've never quite gotten over it, to tell you the truth.

Some of you kids may be excited by this announcement from Irish Fest Children's Area Coordinator Shawn Sullivan Warner. Me? Not so much.

"Let's rattle some bones!

Enjoy StoneLion Puppet Theatre's Boneyard Jamboree and explore the Celtic beginnings to many of Halloween's traditions. Twenty five minutes of bone rattling fun with our Jack O'Lantern Man, Spooky scary skeletons and witches on their brooms! Non-scary fun for even the smallest with delightful marionettes, toe tapping music and lots of surprises!"

So you kids have fun with that. I'm sure it'll be great. But I think I'll pass. Some things are best left alone.