"Imagining something may be the first step in making it happen, but it takes real time and real efforts of real people to learn things, make things, turn thoughts into deeds or visions into inventions."
-Fred Rogers
* * *
I remember always loving Mister Rogers.
My mom took me to have "breakfast with him" when we lived outside Pittsburgh. It was late-1973. He was still kind of "new." And so began my "love affair." Mom got me the souvenir pack of 45 rpm records of all of his songs. I listened to them over and over.
It was like Mister Rogers was always there. Even though he was on TV in front of a huge television audience, I felt like he talked just to me; he listened just to me; he shared things just with me. When I saw him and listened to what he said, I felt safer, more confident somehow. I don't think I ever realized how much he was a part of me.
Then I had kids and could share that part of me with them....and they loved him, too.
My friend, Angel, gave me his book, The World According to Mister Rogers, for Christmas. She, too, had a "love affair" with him as a child. He was magical to her, too.
And when he passed away...the whole world mourned....finding it hard to imagine a world without him.
My mom took me to have "breakfast with him" when we lived outside Pittsburgh. It was late-1973. He was still kind of "new." And so began my "love affair." Mom got me the souvenir pack of 45 rpm records of all of his songs. I listened to them over and over.
It was like Mister Rogers was always there. Even though he was on TV in front of a huge television audience, I felt like he talked just to me; he listened just to me; he shared things just with me. When I saw him and listened to what he said, I felt safer, more confident somehow. I don't think I ever realized how much he was a part of me.
Then I had kids and could share that part of me with them....and they loved him, too.
My friend, Angel, gave me his book, The World According to Mister Rogers, for Christmas. She, too, had a "love affair" with him as a child. He was magical to her, too.
And when he passed away...the whole world mourned....finding it hard to imagine a world without him.
3 comments:
I wasn't going to cry. Nope, not me... Yet, I am still wiping tears away. I always wanted to know Mr. Rogers. He was my dream "grandparent" and such an amazing man. Thanks for sharing this Susie! I will have to watch it a couple times again.
Just a funny note you will appreciate; Xena was standing in the room while I was watching and she turned to look, sucked in her breath and exclaimed excitedly, "Mr. Bouder!!".
My granddaughter would stand at the TV when he came on. At the sight of him she would cry,"Mommie, look my friend is here to play with me!"
Thanks for the memories, Bobbie
Mr Rogers was my best friend when I was about 4 or 5...I absolutely loved his show. I remember other kids not wanting to admit that they loved his show, but they really did! He really had a gift...unlikely to see it in another person the way he had it. Great post.
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