I have lived by these words since I was four years old:
There are only three ways to ultimate success:
The first way is to be kind.
The second way is to be kind.
The third way is to be kind.
- Fred Rogers (From the Book "The World According to Mr. Rogers: Important Things to Remember")
There was only ever one other person in my life aside from my parents that shaped me into the person I am today.
That man was Fred Rogers, aka Mister Rogers of the self-same Neighborhood.
I remember as a child sitting down to watch the show with a sense of wonder and anticipation; what are we going to learn today? Where are we going? How exactly DO they make crayons? Wagons? String? Straws? What's inside the telephone for heaven's sakes?
The sense of kindliness, community, and self-confidence that I project to the world is in no small way due to one Fred Rogers.
PBS might never have been if it weren't for him as well.
You may think you know who this man is. Some of you may even find his gentleness and ability to communicate with young children slightly creepy. It's a sad commentary on our society, but I've heard it all before.
Let me point out some important milestones in this amazing man's life:
1928:
Born March 20th in Latrobe, a small industrial town in Western Pennsylvania.
1954:
Serves as puppeteer, organist, and co-producer with Josie Carey for WQED's "The Children's Corner," his first assignment in children's television.
1966:
Returns to WQED as host and creator of MisteRogers' Neighborhood, after a year at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in Toronto. This program marks his move from behind the scenes to in front of the camera.
1968:
February marks the first broadcast of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood in its present form. Fred Rogers continues to work as a writer, composer, puppeteer, host, and executive producer.
1969:
Appears at U.S. Senate hearings, offering an impassioned plea that touches the hearts of Senators and influences the formation of Public Broadcasting.
1987:
Travels to Russia to tape a special segment of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.
1993:
Appears with President Bill Clinton during the Inaugural Celebration for Children at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.
1998:
Celebrates his 30th anniversary season; receives Lifetime Achievement Award at the Emmies, graces the cover of Esquire Magazine.
2002:
Fred Rogers is awarded our nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, for his "extraordinary public television program...his legendary commitment to young people...and a career that demonstrates the importance of kindness, compassion and learning."
2003:
After a brief battle with stomach cancer, Fred Rogers died on February 27, 2003. Tributes poured in from many people who both mourned his passing and celebrated the positive impact his lifelong work in service to children had on their lives. As Pat Mitchell, CEO and President of PBS said, "Fred Rogers enriched our lives for three decades on PBS, and we are grateful that, through Mister Rogers' Neighborhood programs, he will continue to do so."
source: www.pbskids.org
I am sobbing as I write this. Where has all the kindess in our lives gone? Where is that sense of wonder and discovery that we all need to better ourselves?
Where are the men like Fred Rogers when we need them to pick us up, dust us off, and tell us it's okay to cry?
Fred, you are indeed missed, and we need you now more than ever.
HIMH