Do you remember “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood”? I certainly do. It was my go-to and much appreciated moment of calm when my son was small. And I was as much of a fan as he was.
The PBS show celebrated the 50th anniversary of its national broadcast debut with a special, “It’s You I Like,” which aired this week. During its time, the show, less kinetic than “Sesame Street,” which had its own unique charm, wit and silliness, was sometimes mocked for its simplicity and for the decidedly “un-cool” characteristics of the man at the center.
But watching the special and feeling that calm once again reminded me how much his virtues never grow old, and how very much Fred Rogers, who died in 2003, is the role model we need right now in our lives and politics. You have only to look at the headlines — from chaos to wild tweets to payoffs to adult film stars to notice how far we have wandered from the rules according to Fred.
