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| Written by Erin Maxwell |
On March 20, Mr. Fred McFeely Rogers was born in the great town of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. During his seventy somewhat years on this planet, we was an educator, a minister, a composer, an author and an activist.
He was a much better person than you or I.
He could take a joke, help out someone in need, and did his best whenever he could.
Many of us grew up with Mr. Rogers, who taught us many, many things.
Let’s take a moment to put our cynicism aside and remember the great man. Here are 10 examples of why Mr. Rogers is America’s Ghandi:
1. Mr. Rogers Saved Public Television
In 1969, public TV was in deep, deep trouble.
The United States Senate Subcommittee on Communications met to talk about funding, which was up to get a deep slash. Mr. Rogers appeared before the committee and made a heartfelt plea, talking about his love of education,his desire to help children, the importance of public television and the “expression of care” it gives children. By the end of his plea, the senators agreed to double the funding.
Please do yourself a favor and watch the video. It will make you adore the man all over again. And this is just the first item on this list.
2. He was extremely modest and gracious, even when he was being honored
At this Emmy acceptance speech, he asked everyone to take ten seconds of silence to thank the important people in everyone’s life. To just take a moment and remember the people we all love and miss. The people that made us who we are. Because the moment wasn’t about him, ever though it was. He was even kind enough to keep the time while we did this.
3. He practiced what he preached
Many people would be shocked to find out that Mr. Rogers was a devout Presbyterian minister who often preached the word of God.
This is perhaps because unlike many other ministers of the day, he did not spout fire and brimstone. In fact, when other ministers asked him to take a stand against homosexuality, he refused. His response to the requests were “God loves you just the way you are.”
4. He helped Batman get his start
One of Michael Keaton’s first jobs was as a trolley engineer in the Land of Make Believe.
5. He Loved People And Was Kind To Everyone
It was generally well known that reporters would either get flustered (if they were heartless) or flattered by Mr. Rogers because during interviews, he would often ask so many questions about their lives and their families they would often run out of time. He would also ask for their phone number and addresses so he can stay in touch and find out how they were doing..
Another well known story was that during fancy industry party, Mr. Rogers found out that his limo driver had to wait outside for two hours. Not only did he invite the man in as his guest, but he sat next to him on the ride home. When they drove by his house, Mr. Rogers insisted on stopping inside to meet the driver’s family. He spent the entire night with the clan. The driver was rumored to have said it was one of the best evenings of his life.
There is also this amazing story from Reddit user savedby0:
“When my wife was younger (high school I think) she was on vacation in Nantucket at a friends house. Her friend said that Fred Rogers lived down the road so they went to check out his house. As they were peering through the window they heard a laugh from across the street and sure enough it was Mr. Rogers.
He was so taken aback that anyone would want to see where he lived that he invited them inside. He even played “Won’t you be my neighbor” on the piano for them.
From that point onwards he used to send them Christmas cards every year. Man was a saint.”
6. He Also Saved VCRs
When VCRs first came out, studios freaked the hell out. Like any type of new technology that looked slightly threatening and they didn’t understanding, the studio system identified VCRs as a threat and claimed copyright infringement. Studios even began suing VCR manufacturers.
It was Mr. Rogers that talked them off the ledge. He saw it as a blessing and a way to bring families together so they can watch his programs together at a later time. He even gave testimony in the Sony vs. Universal “Betamax” case.
7. He Was A Musical Genius
Mr. Rogers composed every song on his show, which was well over 200 songs.
Including this gem:
8. He Worked The Words “I Love You” Into His Life Everyday In Every Way
He even liked to weigh 143 pounds because 1-4-3 stands for each of the letters in “I love you.”
9. He Was Beloved By All Creatures
He was Koko the Gorilla’s favorite show. She was a huge fan. When she met Mr. Rogers she even tried to take off his shoes to try to make him a bit more comfy.
10. He Believed In You. And He Liked You Just The Way You Are.
I wrote this because sometime we all need a little Mr. Rogers.
Even The Hulk.
