One evening I was searching for a movie to watch on Amazon and I came across some of the old Mr. Rogers Neighborhood episodes.  They have several seasons available right now to watch. And after revisiting it as an adult, I had an even greater appreciation for his patience, kindness and that he not about extravagance, but showing a simple expression of real true self.  Which is deep appreciation and respect for others. He never had to be anyone but himself and that’s the beauty of it, because that’s the message he wanted others to know. His gentle, childlike curiosity reminds us how to enjoy the simple pleasures in life.

I wanted to reach out to others and see how this TV program influenced their choices and their entire well-being in their life. When I started this podcast, it was to shine a light on the goodness in the world through people. People that surround us all; our neighbors. Today we pay tribute to a man who would’ve avoided being called a Superhero, but would’ve welcomed being next door to you. A neighbor in every sense of the word; Mr. Fred Rogers.

Last year was the 50th Anniversary of the show and books and documentaries and sprung up to pay tribute to the impact that his TV program had on the world. I’ll be quoting from a few of the books and they are linked in this post.

March 20th was the Anniversary of his birthday and even though it’s a little belated, I decided to capture messages from people from all walks of life. Because really, Mr. Rogers effected people from every background. Some of these messages were sent to me via direct message and some were captured in a voice memo. They’re memories of what they had of him or what they’d say to him if he were alive today. Maybe you can relate to some of their stories as well if you’re a fan of the show, or just a fan of Fred himself.

With every Mythology, there’s a unique journey.  It starts with an origin story.

He devoted his entire adult life towards helping children (and everyone for that matter) understand their feelings, fears, and anxieties, but also to find the goodness in the world. He found a way to address topics that were very difficult for a child to discuss, but he did it with such grace and love that anyone who listened felt understood. This was all done through a TV program.  A program that I once took for granted as a child, but now as I revisit it as an adult, I realize the impact it has had on my life. Perhaps it has done the same for you.

Robyn Barrow: “So what I remember most about Mr. Rogers was anytime that Trolley would come out I was like, I wanna get on the trolley, I wanna get on the trolley! I wanna go where ever it goes!”

Renata: “I’m Renata and I’m from Midwest City, OK. I’m 52 yrs old and I remember watching Mr. Rogers the majority of my life and I liked it where he just looked comfortable coming in with his little changing out of his shirt, into a cardigan and his little shoes, but I also like the train part where you could just not even leave your house, but you know you could go anywhere with him. And he was just, he just made you feel comfortable watching him.”

Dr. Jesse Sowards: “One of the things that really touched me about Mr. Rogers as an Eye Doctor was I always wondered why he mentioned that he was feeding the fish. And, I heard it was because of a blind kid that was a fan of his show wrote in and said, ‘would you please tell me when you’re feeding your fish so I know that your fish has been fed?’ And I just thought, how sweet!  Every time he said, ‘now it’s time to feed our fish!’ he was thinking of that little kid and that little kid I bet felt really special.”

Kimberly Wynn @wynnkimberly:”My favorite part about Mr. Rogers growing up was watching the videos where they showed how things were made. I loved the crayon episode and I made myself learn to tell time, not because he taught it, but because I didn’t want to miss an episode! I didn’t trust that the adults would tell me when it was on and so I learned to recognize when it started, then I just grilled my mom and grandma until I could tell time and that was even before I was in Kindergarten because I loved Mr. Rogers and Sesame Street so much.”

Rikki James @rikki.james: “So I did not watch Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, I watched Sesame Street, but I always turned it off for some reason, isn’t that crazy. So the only actual memory I have of him is as an adult and the whole ‘Look for the Helpers’ quote. And that’s all I know about Mr. Rogers. Mitch (her husband) has…. he was just saying that when he was little he thought that success was a different pair of tennis shoes to go home and change into and that’s what he always wanted in life.”

Jamie @jamiehup4: “As I sit here thinking about a memory of Mr. Rogers that stands out to me from watching the show as a kid, it’s not a particular episode or segment that comes to mind.  What has really stayed with me is the kindness that he exudes, the kindness in his manner, the kindness of the sound of his voice and the words that he used, and the kindness in the presentation. He was sincere, you could tell, even as a child, he wasn’t some actor playing a role.  He meant what he said, he was the real deal. That’s what really has stuck with me all of these years.”

Fred would take his work very seriously, in fact he worked harder than most people I know. When working on his scripts for his neighborhood programs (close to 900 of them), he would fret over the words attempting to make the content meaningful.  After multiple drafts, he would say, “Simple is better.”

Ashley Weir:  “When I was growing up we didn’t get to watch that much television. So, whenever we would get home from school we would be able to pick one show and that was usually Mr. Rogers Neighborhood.  I just remember always being so happy listening to that song, I know that sounds cheesy, it was just a very comforting memory I have and something I got to share with my family and it’s actually really interesting because I found out, you know later, that Mr. Rogers and I had the same birthday. I don’t have too many Birthday buddies, so that was an instant positive in my book.”

To this day, I sometimes wake my kids up singing that same song at the top of my lungs!  I love that song too Ashley. Fred was also a talented musician and in fact, he wrote over 200 songs over the course of his career.  Music was an important way for him to express his emotions when he was very young and through adulthood.

Savannah Wilkinson: “My name is Savannah Wilkinson and I’m from Casper, WY.  I’ve only seen Mr. Rogers a couple of times and I remember his big thing was loving everybody and showing compassion to everybody.  I remember there’s was a girl who lived next to me when I was very young and it was after watching his show that I decided to come out of my shyness and go knock on her door and ask her to play and she became my childhood best friend.  So, he’s pretty cool!  I’m happy you came and found me because I haven’t thought about that for a while.”

Angie Taylor (@angietaylorwrites): “My memories of Mr. Rogers include not like one particular instance, but I just remember feeling like, as a little girl, I would watch a show whenever I watch PBS and I just remember feeling very loved when he would come on to the screen and you would sing his songs and when he would ask, ‘won’t you be my neighbor?’ I was like, ‘yeah! I want to be your neighbor!’ That was the feeling I had and I remember feeling that my emotions were safe.

I remember feeling that he would listen to what I had to say. I also remembered the feeling like he was someone that loved everyone and you could tell that he loved everyone by how much care he took care of his fish. I love when he talked with the train and the train would talk back and interact with little noises. So that’s kind of one the only really significant memory I can think of from my childhood.

Recently I watched the Mister Rogers documentary and I just fell in love with Mr. Rogers even more because I totally was so grateful that he felt a need to create a program for children that didn’t demean them, or demean humanity, or make them feel like the only way they could be entertained is by hitting a punching, or making someone fall down, or throwing a pie in someone’s face. And I’m not saying those things are bad, but his mission was to show children that our greatest strength is to embrace our humanity and to love one another and to talk about subjects that were difficult, and to recognize that some people don’t have a perfect family, and some people only have a mom or only have a dad or have physical limitations or are mentally handicapped or physically handicapped. That it’s okay to talk about those things in a really open way.

I just totally fell in love with Mr. Rogers even as an adult knowing that he had a mission to create a safe environment for children to learn about real things. One of the things I really loved about him in the documentary was that he treated children like equals. He didn’t speak down to them, or think that they were not smart enough, or think that they didn’t have the mental capacity to understand what he was saying. I just love that and because I think that is so true. I think that especially as adults we have such a huge responsibility to teach children how to treat other people by how we interact with them and how we allow them to see that we value their emotions and feelings. And that we think that they can understand us and show respect. Mister Rogers, I think he’s a great example to all of us and especially his gentle nature. Looking at him he’s not a man of great stature, but boy did he had the biggest personality ever. He was able to love with just enormous capacity and I would love to be like him when I grow up.”

Mr. Rogers once told Amy Hollingsworth in an interview that quote, “I’m so convinced that the space between the television set and the viewer is Holy Ground and that by what we put on the television can, by the Holy Spirit, be translated into what this person needs to hear and see. That is from the book, The Simple Faith of Mr. Rogers.

June Hardison: (@fitnessforjune, @junebugauthor):
“Hey, I just wanted to leave a message about my thoughts on Mr. Rogers. When I think about watching that show, I think about the times that he would look directly into the camera and he’d say, ‘you are special.’ And you know, some people would say, there’s like a toss up, some people really liked Mr. Rogers or some thought he was creepy. But for me, it wasn’t necessarily that I remembered everything that he said on the program, but it was the feeling that I got from watching it. It was a positive feeling. I think even at that young of age it really made me start to think about how I can have a contribution to the world, and that me being here is important. I think that that was his goal to make children realize that. And that’s something that we need to be reminded of growing up when just starting out as children and to have that as a daily reminder was something special.  I’m glad you’re doing this tribute. Love you Joyce.”

Jim Glover Roberts: “I had no idea of the fact that he was, shall I say such versatility, okay. I didn’t know that he was a minister etc, etc. It was all very impressive I thought. I had great pleasure with it. Like I said early on, there were aspects of it that brought tears to my eyes.  They were all tears of happy and being an Irishman I have the privilege of crying. Men of other denominations know they cant… it breaks that macho image. I don’t have to worry about that. (me): So you didn’t grow up watching Mr. Rogers? (Jim): I didn’t! You know, I really can’t begin to tell you why. I don’t have much recollection on watching Saturday morning cartoons or anything. We lived outside of town and there was a wonderful stream down the hill and I spent more time there than I did in front of the television set. I was well into my thirties perhaps as much as my forties when by coincidence I saw a little cut of an opening of his program and he’s singing the song. Perhaps I was in the home with somebody with children. I don’t recall, but anyway,
He was a special man special man. I think so, yes. That’s the impression I got.”

Every hero meets a life-changing obstacle. It’s only when they choose to confront that challenge that true growth occurs.

To me Mister Rogers was a mentor and he met us at that point in our hero’s journey where we needed a word of encouragement. Like a friend who just comes up to you and puts his arm around your shoulder and walks with you for a bit. He sends you on the rest of your journey feeling uplifted and a little bitter about things.

Veronica: “When I first started watching the show Mister Rogers Neighborhood I knew very little English. I had no idea what he was saying, but I do remember liking the soothing tone of his voice. Eventually I can understand it all. My favorite part was the Land of Make Believe, and the puppets, and of course, the trolley. PBS was a great learning experience for me.”

Irene: “Hi my name is Irene Smyth and was wanting to say that Mr. Rogers Neighborhood was a big part of my childhood. I watch him everyday. He helped me and my sister get through a lot of rough times. We were kind of raised by our dad till I was about 12. Our dad was pretty abusive and he was always like in his room taking naps and me and my sister pretty much raised ourselves. There was a few fun times you know here and there, but he had a lot of anger issues and he’d take it out on us when we misbehaved and he had some pretty rough punishments. I think I used to like to watch programs like Mister Rogers Neighborhood to kind of imagine like I was there in a more peaceful environment. I don’t know, he had a lot of good advice and he helped me and my sister get through a lot of a lot of rough times. I don’t know, I guess that’s all thanks.”

You know, there really weren’t any other shows that I’m aware of that actually took viewers out into the real world and gave them a glimpse of essentially how people work and contribute and use their talents. This aspect of the show really meant a lot to my friend Lorraine. We were childhood friends and she wrote this message to me to be red and here’s what she said…

Lorraine: “I guess to understand what kind of impact he had on my life I would have to tell you a little bit about myself. My childhood was mired by violence and in some aspects maybe even neglect. That is until I was taken in by my grandparents. They were soft-spoken people and there is not a doubt that they saved my life. I didn’t have much growing up, but I was truly blessed by them. While they worked as janitors there were times I would stay home and watch TV and do my homework. Fred Rogers took me to places I would not normally be able to go. He spoke softly like my grandparents and he showed me the world that I had not been shown and taught me things like how crayons are made and so many other things. He celebrated birthdays and talked about acceptance. Above all, he was kind and I felt like he cared and he allowed my curiosity to sore and question things and people. I do a lot of writting in my life in large part because of him. I love the way he spoke and invoke emotion. Words are beautiful.”

Joseph Garcia:  “My name is Joseph Garcia. I just think Mr. Rogers was pretty cool, ya know what I mean? I mean, that’s really the only channels we got to watch ya know growing up and uh, so yeah that’s the only channels we got to watch. Watching him was pretty cool ya know, I appreciate everything that he’s done ya know. Was there something in you life growing up that maybe he influenced you in a certain way? (laughs) uh, I wish that was true… I wish that was true. He was just really cool ya know what I mean?”

Belinda: I’m Belinda from Oklahoma and I grew up watching Mr. Rogers and I liked watching Mr. Rogers but the biggest impact came after I had a child and I was a single parent. And Mister Rogers was there for my son like a father figure and my son could watch him and feel safe and feel that a man somewhere loved him.”

When we were young, the events that we experience are in our formative years and he took great care to help children understand the complexities of life and how he once said quote, “deep within us no matter who we are, lives a feeling of wanting to be lovable. Of wanting to be the kind of person that others like to be with. And the greatest thing we can do is to let people know that they are loved and capable of loving.”

@alonglostmermaid: “Mister Rogers is a bit before my time but I was watching the documentary on his life with my mother and just fell in love with him and everything he stands for. His message of tolerance and compassion is simply beautiful and he is my hero. I grew up around early childhood professionals and I’ve seen work being done wrong so many times so to finally see someone doing it right brought tears to my eyes. Children can learn to cut paper and count and know their letters, but social, emotional skills are more important and it seems like schools forget, but Fred didn’t. I wish I could have met him

There’s a quote I’d like to read from the book, The World According to Mr. Rogers. He says, “part of the problem with the word disabilities is that it immediately suggests an inability to see or hear or walk or do other things that many of us take for granted. What about the people who can’t feel or talk about their feelings or manage their feelings in constructive way? Or people who are unable to form close and strong relationship and people who cannot find fulfillment in their lives? Or those who have lost hope or live in disappointment and bitterness? Finding no joy in life. Seems to me those are the real disabilities

Big or small a transformation occurs within a journey. A sense of purpose is made and superpowers are realized.

Amber Pearce: “God knows you and has a very specific role for you. He has given you gifts and experiences for a reason. You can’t look at anyone else and what they are doing to figure it out. Your part is unique to you. If you try to do someone else’s part, your part will be left undone. I had just finished typing those words in an email to my blog readers when I got a message from Joyce asking me to talk about my favorite Mister Rogers episode. I knew exactly the one, but I thought it would be fun to watch it again real quick cuz the only thing I remembered was how fascinated I was in the episode when Mr. Rogers showed us how crayons were made. As the familiar jingle started, I was surprised at my gratitude for this man who had the courage to do his part and share his unique gifts with the world but what surprised me even more was what the episode was really about. It wasn’t just about how crayons were made which still captivated me and three of my children 35 years later.

The whole point was Crayons sitting in a box is not much. The magic is when you take the crayon and use it for what it was created for. He draws a picture and then says I wouldn’t have made that if I had just been thinking about it. Just pretending about it, it wouldn’t be there. You can’t make believe it happens or pretend that something’s true. You can wish or hope, contemplating the thing you’d like to do. That until you start to do it, you will never see it through because the make-believe pretending just won’t do it for you; you’ve got to do it. Every little bit and when you are through you’ll know who did it, because you did it!

Of course he broke into song, but you’ll be grateful I chose not to sing it for you. As he finished singing, he said it feels good to do things and to have made something. Isn’t that true? He also taught us that as we start to do what’s important to remember that doing is not about winning. He says it should be the fun of doing that’s important. How true that is. How often do we give up because before we start we can’t be the best or we suck the joy out of life because all we do is compare and think that we are only good at something if we are better than everyone else.

There’s something to say that here I was at 41 years old, with a two year olds on one side of me and a 10 year olds on the other side and tears started to well up in my eyes as Mr. Rogers closed out by saying, ‘The best thing is that each person’s creation will be different. You are the only one like you. In a way, you’ve already won in this world because you are the only one who can do the thing. You are always a little bit different from anybody else and that’s the way it’s supposed to be.’

It surprised me that his message was the exact one that I had tried to communicate that day. A message I’ve been trying to remember myself. A message that we all need to hear whether we’re 4 or 40. If you are going to fulfill your purpose you’ve got to stop thinking and start acting. So thank you Mr. Rogers for inspiring me at 4 and 41.

And of course, I can’t forget to thank you for teaching me how to snap my fingers. Remember how at the end of the show he’d always sing and then he would snap his fingers twice. It’s would walk around the house for the next day trying to snap my fingers twice just like Mister Rogers. I mean, where would I be today without the ability to snap at my kids to keep them in line? Thanks Mister Rogers.

It was the night before the first day of school. Tomorrow I would officially start elementary school as a first grader. My brand new sneakers lay next to my bed along with my go-to pants and hyper-color t-shirt. (This is the eighties by the way). I lie in bed waiting to be tucked in from my mother. She walks in with my freshly clean comforter and it was still warm from the dryer. I lay there excited for what tomorrow would bring. How fun recess would be and how I get to sit in my own desk and use my brand new school supplies. After thinking about what games I was going to play at recess my mind started to wonder into the classroom and suddenly I realized I wasn’t so sure I remembered everything I was taught in kindergarten. I barely cracked open a book during the summer. What if I forgot all my numbers or how to write my letters? I did not want the kids to think I wasn’t smart. Then the thought came to me. ‘Okay, get up early tomorrow and turn on Sesame Street. They always talk about number and letters so you’ll get a good review just in time.’

So I set my alarm and went to bed. The next morning I did according to plan and I felt pretty good about my numbers and letters, but then other anxieties started to make themselves known. Would I be able to make friends? What would it be like to be away from home all day? Would I be able to do what the teacher tells me to do and not really look silly in front of the class? So I left the TV to go eat breakfast. As I returned to turn off the TV the Mister Rogers Neighborhood show is on and I stopped to watch. Which is strange because normally I didn’t really pay much attention to the show. I actually kind of thought at times it was kind of boring. And Mister Rogers for me honestly, I felt like he was too nice. I didn’t really know anyone like him so he just seems kind of odd to me.

I was really drawn to his message and it felt like he was talking directly to me. He was at the end of the show and he started to sing the song Are you Brave and Don’t Know It? Then he said, ‘you’re the only one who can know that. If anybody asks you to make something, just do the best with what you have. You can be proud of what you made and you know inside that I’m proud of you too. That was all I needed to hear. After that, I grew to love watching the Mister Rogers Neighborhood show and his demeanor felt welcoming and encouraging.

Nicholas Roche: “I was so young when Mister Rogers Neighborhood still aired that I don’t remember any specific moments that impacted me. Really as powerful as some of his messages were, I don’t think they were as resonant as he was as a human being anyways. To me he was a constant support. He knew exactly how to make a person feel valued in life just for existing and he gave your children the okay to be themselves and encourage thoughtfulness and consideration for other living beings. Really he taught the most important emotional foundations for the future of a person’s life. With the most use and care. He was a rare and special person who only wanted to pave the way for a more open and loving world. Wherever you are, Happy Birthday Mr. Roger. Thank you for everything you’ve done.”

The more I research him I conclude that we have a lot in common. I realized that through this podcast I’m trying to have a community similar to the Mister Rogers Neighborhood. To learn from each other and the unique gifts that each one of us brings to the world. Mr. Rogers used to say, “There’s so much to think about in this world.” We can look at people in the world through the eyes of a child and marvel at the wonder and possibilities when we use our imagination.

Misty Griffin: So I feel as a child when we would watch Mister Rogers, there was a lot of life lessons. He was friendly, he was compassionate, he taught acceptance. How to deal with feelings and it’s too bad there aren’t more people like him.

Fred’s capacity for understanding others was truly a gift. He carried a quote with him from Mary Lou Kownacki that said: “There isn’t anyone you couldn’t love once you knew their story” and you know what, I couldn’t agree more because that’s exactly what I’m trying to achieve on this podcast. To realize that through every person we meet there’s something that we can learn and take and add to our own lives. I’m so thankful for that feeling of nostalgia that led me down this rabbit hole when I came across this show as an adult. Even though Mr. Rogers isn’t with us anymore, in a way, we’re all still connected when we try to carry on each other’s legacy through the character traits and qualities that we admire the most.

A big Thank you…

Okay everyone amuse me for a bit, but I have got to think all of the people that sent in their messages to me to help out with the show. First of all, Amber Pearce from Left With a Smile. A Blog that you definitely need to check out if you love storytelling with a principal taught at the end. Robyn Barrow, a true Rock Star. Kimberly Wynn, the sweetest person I know. Mitch and Rikki James, the coolest family I know. Jamie from Instagram who introduced me to my new favorite mug. It has a picture of Mr. Rogers in his suit, but get this guy’s, when you put hot water in the mug the suit jacket turns into a sweater! It’s the best, it really is. Nicolas Roche, check out his music at Nicholasroche.bandcamp.com

And my number one fan and support, my dear husband Jesse. Ashley Weir, my fellow volleyball buddy. Savannah Wilkinson for talking to a stranger, that’s me! On Instagram along-lostmermaid. Angie Taylor, author of three books that are also linked in the show notes. Misty Baldwin, for helping a girl out. My dear sweet sister June Hardison, follow her on Instagram and check out her book in the show notes. Jim, the laid-back Irishman. Veronica Lindley, a happy face I love to see at the gym. Irene Smyth, who’s such a good sport. Joseph Garcia, keep fighting the good fight buddy. Belinda and her friend Renata who welcomed my intrusion. Last but not least, my dear childhood friend Lorraine. You guys are the best!

I would encourage you to watch the documentary called, Won’t You Be My Neighbor and check out the books that I have listed in the show notes. Every single one of them is spectacular. I’d really appreciate it left a rate and review of this podcast. It’s super fast and it really helps others to find the show and of course, sharing it is even better. Until next time, stay super everyone.