I thought I'd see if the good outweighed the bad. Let's give my optimistic half full glass a fair trade shake and see what floats to the top.
Hey Rocky, watch me pull a rabbit outta my hat! Gee Bullwinkle, swell! A beach walk on a warm day, the first butterfly of the season, laughter with a friend, sloppy wet kisses from Snowy, a protective male goose guarding his life mate with eggs to hatch soon, an accomplished writer encouraging new writers, rather than red stamping them with ~unpaid dues~, three pounds of chocolate covered cherries on my hips from Christmas, gone. Mister Rogers video. Mister Rogers??? Really?
It came across as a well tossed cyber nugget beach ball bounced to a
concert of 514.992 viewers. I don't know what made me open it. It was simply titled Fred Rogers Acceptance Speech 1997 on the sidebar of YouTube browser. Listening to his voice, I found solace once again in his soft spoken assurances. Fred Rogers flipped the tables of Emmy acceptance behavior, humbling the entire assembly of posh into a blubbering mascara dripped, shoulder slumped mass of spoiled little children. Reminding in his subtle and truthful way that ~You didn't get here by yourself~ He starts by telling us that we were loved into being. Normally it is at this time that a scribbled long list is retracted from an Emmy winners breast pocket or ladies clutch. Mister Rogers ask the audience to take ten seconds,ten seconds to remember those who have helped you become who you are, cared about you and wanted what was best for you. Mister Rogers reveals his watch and tells us that he will time us. I say us, because alone in front of a blue screen, he has chided me into submission as well. He gently coached us into truth. The three minute list just whittled down considerably didn't it? Who really got you there? No one can hear you, it's just you and your heart answering the question. You're not thanking someone to get kudos points, or so that they won't get offended, or because you may need them later.....
Hmmm, to be totally honest, I had about 6 seconds left. Ok, I tell myself, that's my short list. I felt the need to do a do-over, there were some important people I forgot. Or, did I? And then I follow Mister Rogers instructions once again. I remember those that came to my mind, I give thanks for what they have done silently. They have loved us into being. They nurtured us with their strength and encouragement. Much the same way as Mister Rogers did for over 30 years to his children on TV. Each episode began the same way: Mister Rogers is seen coming home, singing his theme song "Won't You Be My Neighbor?", and changing into sneakers and a zippered cardigan sweater. Each episode included a trip to Rogers' "Neighborhood of Make-Believe" featuring a trolley with its own chiming theme song, a castle, and the kingdom's citizens. Mister Rogers often fed his fish during episodes. They were originally named Fennel and Frieda. Typically, each week's episode explored a major theme, such as going to school for the first time. Originally, most episodes ended with a song entitled "Tomorrow", and Friday episodes looked forward to the week ahead with an adapted version of "It's Such a Good Feeling." In later seasons, all episodes ended with "Feeling."
There were many constants in his show that we came to expect. In a chaotic world, constants provide comfort. So, if it’s I Love Lucy, Reading, Biking, Tom and Jerry cartoons, background white noise of a baseball game playing on TV. In John Lennon’s song lyrics “Whatever gets you through the night is alright, alright.” And sometimes, there is even a hidden nugget in this quiet time. As I discovered with Mr. Rogers speech.
