I love Mr. Rogers.... I loved him as a kid (much to my parent's chagrin, as a 5 year old, I wistfully told my mom "I wish Mr. Rogers was my dad". To which my mother replied "If Mr. Rogers was your dad, I wouldn't be your mom.") and I still love watching him alongside my kids.
He was the only person who took 30 minutes out of his day to do silly stuff with me, to encourage my imagination, and most importantly to tell me that he liked me "just the way I am". He didn't even know me. He never knew how far-reaching those words would go.
Or maybe he did.
I love the way he put himself in the way of being "humble". He didn't mind doing something that most people would not do: something humiliating like wearing a newspaper hat, or asking a question on a "field trip" that a kid might ask.
As a parent, I appreciate the simplicity of his show. There is no jarring of one's nerves. No flashing words or bright lights or politically correct message beating you about the head and shoulders. There is just a calm, caring man and a couple of his friends from the neighborhood.
I have been made fun of all of my life for my love and respect for Fred Rogers. I don't mind one bit. He was a Presbyterian minister (I stand corrected, as I had thought he was a Methodist minister), and if God is at all as loving and caring and calm and loves me just the way I am the way Mr. Rogers did, well, then I am glad to be a part of His neighborhood too.
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Okay, I admit it. I used to roll my eyes at Mr. Rogers, but when I started having children I admired his calmness and sincerity. With television land full of purple dinosaurs and tubby creatures, he was genuine. I once saw a documentary on a behind-the-scenes look at Mr. Rogers, and once when they were taping a show about pitching a tent, he couldn't get it right. Then, in frustration he threw everything in a big pile and had a good laugh at himself. I always thought of him as a gentle soul . . . and we need more of those in this world.
We live in Pittsburgh so of course Mr. Rogers is huge here. Although my kids are too old for him now, they love going by the pbs station where his shows were filmed. A couple of years ago Pittsburgh had dinosaurs all over the place, like other cities did cows and pigs and whatever. Anyway in front of the PBS station is a T-Rex that looks like Mr. Rogers. He has one of the puppets in his hand, and the trolley is going up his tail. Too fun. He was a great man.
ok, trivia queen has to chime in here. he was actually a presbyterian minister, but nonetheless, he was a great man & a calming force in an otherwise cluttered tv landscape. you're still a dork (for reasons other than liking mr rogers!) haha
love ya!
Another Mr Rogers fan here. It was always so relaxing to watch his show.
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