Do you remember where you were when you learned Mister Rogers died? I do. It was a Thursday in February 2003, and I was driving home from work. Sadly, my first reaction was, "He was still alive?" Next came the memories.
Being a middle child, I was forgotten enough to watch a lot of television. (Now supervising what my boys watch, I am amazed at how much more violent most children's programming was back then.)
I earnestly looked forward to watching Mister Rogers, the red trolley, trips to the Neighborhood of Make Believe - and most especially - field trips to famous places or factories (now I watch "How It's Made" on the Science Channel to get my factory fix).
It now dawns upon me that even my love of cardigan sweaters could very well originate with Mister Rogers. (It takes a real man to love cardigan sweaters and blog about Mister Rogers.)
Not long ago I came across a post of 15 Reasons Mister Rogers was the Best Neighbor Ever. This isn't the main link I want to highlight, but here are my two favorite "reasons":
2. He Made Thieves Think Twice
According to a TV Guide piece on him, Fred Rogers drove a plain old Impala for years. One day, however, the car was stolen from the street near the TV station. When Rogers filed a police report, the story was picked up by every newspaper, radio and media outlet around town. Amazingly, within 48 hours the car was left in the exact spot where it was taken from, with an apology on the dashboard. It read, “If we’d known it was yours, we never would have taken it.”6. He Was Genuinely Curious about Others
Mister Rogers was known as one of the toughest interviews because he’d often befriend reporters, asking them tons of questions, taking pictures of them, compiling an album for them at the end of their time together, and calling them after to check in on them and hear about their families. He wasn’t concerned with himself, and genuinely loved hearing the life stories of others. Amazingly, it wasn’t just with reporters. Once, on a fancy trip up to a PBS exec’s house, he heard the limo driver was going to wait outside for 2 hours, so he insisted the driver come in and join them (which flustered the host). On the way back, Rogers sat up front, and when he learned that they were passing the driver’s home on the way, he asked if they could stop in to meet his family. According to the driver, it was one of the best nights of his life—the house supposedly lit up when Rogers arrived, and he played jazz piano and bantered with them late into the night. Further, like with the reporters, Rogers sent him notes and kept in touch with the driver for the rest of his life.
The link I really want to feature was a profile written for Esquire magazine in 1998.
The article is a lengthy eight pages long, but I promise that you will love the man even more - even if you thought that wasn't possible. You won't regret investing the time.
Let us know what you think. C'mon - be a good neighbor.
"Won't You Be My Neighbor?"
Mister Rogers Signing Off - Forever
There simply aren't enough Fred Rogers around - though I am fortunate to know a few who come awfully close.
