I’ve lived a pretty decent life. I get to put my writing and photography talents to work almost daily with my job at a newspaper, and I use them for other purposes, too, such as writing books and taking photos at random times. I might not be rich, but I’m doing what I enjoy.

Of course, I’ve started wondering what it might be like to pursue something else in my life. I’m not thinking of a career change, but maybe something else to do with my free time. It wouldn’t be too far off the mark with what a lot of people are doing right now—looking at where their life sits after the pandemic and reassessing if their lives are really where they want them to be.

I’ve recently wondered if I should become a puppeteer. I think it’s a desire to stretch my talents as a storyteller, but instead of writing newspaper articles, novels and plays, I could develop stories that require me to pull the strings for a change.

The awakening came about when I was browsing online recently and saw an ad for pubbets. No, that’s not a typo. The puppets in question are called pubbets, and they’ve apparently developed quite a few characters, ranging from people to monsters.

It’s easy to trace where my interest in puppets comes from. I remember my mother plopping me in front of the television daily as a little boy to watch “Sesame Street”—which recently celebrated its 50^th anniversary. Bert and Ernie, Cookie Monster, Grover, Oscar the Grouch. Puppets all. I watched at a time before Elmo, the red furry monster, and Julia, the autistic Muppet, but the characters I saw enthralled me.

“Sesame Street” wasn’t my only exposure to the world of puppets. The show has a link to “The Muppets,” which have brought a lot of household names—Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, Waldorf and Statler and others too numerous to mention. I loved watching all the films and the original Muppet show.

Behind the characters of both shows are people who control the movements of the characters, either through rods or by strings. They cause the mouths to form words, the arms to flail wildly or gently rise, and even the eyes to blink. Without the puppeteers, the characters are nothing but unanimated felt and fur.

Of course, you also have Jeff Dunham, who has made a career of developing strange and interesting characters that make people of all ages laugh—Walter, Achmed, Bubba Jay. I don’t think I’d ever go to this level with puppets, with ventriloquism, as I’d probably prefer to be behind the scenes and not try to talk without moving my lips, but it’d definitely be an interesting aspiration.

I’m not sure why I’ve had this recent awakening. Obviously, the advertisement for the pubbets was a catalyst, but there has to be something else. Maybe it’s seeing puppet shows at schools and libraries. Maybe it’s coming across the soundtrack for Avenue Q, a Broadway show that shows the dark side of puppets. All I know is that I was checking out the individual pubbets for sale one night, and I was wondering if I should pull the trigger and buy some.

I haven’t done so yet, but the temptation still lingers. If I’m pursuing an effort to expand my storytelling skills, it makes sense. I started out writing plays in middle school and high school, and then about 15 years ago, I decided to write my first novel. Puppeteering might not seem like a step up, but it is a step outside my usual comfort zone.

I do have some experience in performing. I haven’t done much in theater lately, but I’m known to do impersonations and occasionally delve into overdramatics. I could imitate monsters and people easily. I’m not sure how well I’d fare with the female characters, as my ability to go falsetto has faded with each passing year.

Writing. Performing flair. The temptation to dive into a different world. Most of the ingredients are there. What’s lacking is time. It takes time to learn a new skill, and I’m not sure I can give this potential hobby the attention it deserves to turn it into something fun. It doesn’t mean that I won’t review my priorities down the road and take on the endeavor, but for now, someone else will have to pull the strings.

The dream will still remain, however. Someday, I hope to have a puppet as a partner, or maybe several. It’d be a more reasonable excuse to contain my alleged multiple personalities…