Category: Humanity

Was Mr. Rogers a hero?

Was Mr. Rogers a hero?

I’m sure there are many differing opinions about Mr. Rogers and the recent movie about his life played by Tom Hanks, however, I believe he was much more than a hero.

I grew up watching Mr. Rogers Neighborhood as a child and appreciate the way he helped children understand their feelings and the world around them. As an adult, I recall these things that made him different from everyone else:

  • He had a soft spoken voice that was welcoming.
  • He taught us manners and common courtesies.
  • When he took off his shoes and changed his coat it meant that he was purposefully putting away everything pertaining to the outside world and entering another world–his home.
  • He was focused on you (the audience) and sharing something from his heart.
  • He welcomed people who were different from him and tried to understand their culture, their childhood growing up and more importantly, where they were at that moment in time.
  • He taught children how to deal with their emotions, family issues and life in general.
  • He taught us that we were/are good, lovable, and should extend kindness to others.

In the movie, it showed how Mr. Rogers very lovingly, thoughtfully and methodically saw through the tough exteriors of people to get to the root of the issue. I guess you could say in modern terms that he psycho analyzed everyone. There was no screaming, bad or terse words to get our attention, it was the polar opposite. Mr. Rogers taught us why it was important to give someone you are speaking to your “full attention” when speaking on the phone or in person because they were/are important. How I wish for those times today! Don’t you?

At the end of the movie I saw men, women, boomers and millenials crying as the lights came up. It touched them and reminded them of a better time in their life and the world. As for me, I left the movie theatre feeling calm and peaceful. I even slept better that night than I had in a number of days.

In retrospect, I believe America needs another Mr. Rogers for our children and grandchildren to experience. My hope is that the boomers who grew up with Mr. Rogers will take the lessons we’ve been taught through the show and in life and continually pass it on to the next generation. Our world and the people in it are broken and in need of restoration both spiritually and physically.

Kindness Seen Today

It’s not often that we see the good side of Humanity, but I saw it today!

Today I was driving back from Islamorada and traffic seemed to be a little heavier than usual. I wasn’t aware of any major events going on, however, I couldn’t understand why the miles of traffic was building and for no apparent reason. Pretty much it was stop-and-go for almost 25 miles.

Typically in stop-and-go traffic like this, you see the worst of humanity with people yelling and getting worked up because traffic isn’t moving. This reminds me of the time when the highway looked like a parking lot and the car behind me hit me. Then the driver tried to say it was my fault when my car was in park mode for more than ten minutes. I could have acted nasty and rude but I did not and it changed everything. The man later admitted that he hit me and then I started talking about how good it feels to get out of the car and look at the water. That little bit of humanity changed everything, including the final outcome where he admitted he was wrong.

Our Story. Today, I saw another example of someone willing to make the world a better, habitable place for everyone. I did not know this man (our hero), but his actions changed my entire day and inspired me to make peace, practice kindness, and freely hand out grace in large portions. At first I wondered why this large truck pulled into the median and I was right behind him. Then I saw an elderly senior with a walker standing in the median trying to cross to the other side. None of the cars would stop to let him cross the road. In a flash, our hero jumped out of his truck and begin to direct traffic to stop–and they did! Once traffic was stopped both ways, our hero carefully walked the senior across the road until he was safe. What’s crazy is the traffic stayed in place until our hero hopped back into his truck and drove away. The whole ordeal only took minutes, but I’m sure it had an impact on both the senior and the truck driver as well as all those who witnessed this self-less act. I was reminded of how one self-less act can change everything.

Our World Today. Today our world seems to be spinning out of control with disingenuous people and hate until unkindness is overflowing and overtaking our daily lives. Meanwhile, those who seek to divide and conquer hide behind the safety of their computer screens. I’m tired of it all and have decided to make concerted efforts daily to spread some kindness to strangers as well as those I know. How about you?

Your Takeaway. Ask yourself these simple questions:

  • How would you feel if your were the recipient of the help?
  • Did it feel good or not so good?
  • If it doesn’t feel good, don’t do it.