my happiest memories of Sesame Street growing up,

It's very hard to isolate one,

because I spent all of the first years of my life watching

pretty much only this show.

I was not allowed to watch other things on television,

and so this was my family.

In one way, in my imagination, I lived here,

and the people on the show,

the characters, were my friends,

especially when you don't always fit in.

♪ I love pigeons, yeah ♪ ♪ Pigeons ♪

♪ Love pigeons, oh yes I do ♪

- Well Bert, you know,

♪ I don't really like any of those things ♪

♪ But I like you ♪

- Aw, Ernie.

♪ Anyone, anyone, anyone can be ♪

♪ Anyone, anyone, anyone can be brave ♪

♪ Yep yep, uh-huh, uh-huh ♪

(crowd cheers) - Having friends like these,

friends like the people who live on Sesame Street,

makes a big difference.

Plus they're really good people

and they teach really, really good lessons.

And so, when I'm talking to my friends who have new kids,

the one thing I tell them is,

if they watch pretty much just Sesame Street,

they're gonna grow up to know what's right and wrong

and a lot of other things, like

all the letters of the alphabet

and what those letters stand for.

I'm just so grateful, I would not be the person I am today

without this show, so happy 50th birthday, Sesame Street.

(lively, upbeat music)