December 4, 2000
DOWN HOME:
We had a good time in his neighborhood
___"Oh, that makes me sad," Lindsay sighed when I told her Mister Rogers will retire this month.
___Our family visited "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" when our daughters, Lindsay and Molly, were little girls.
___In some ways, that seems like a long time ago. Lindsay is 17 now, and Molly justturned 14. But in other ways, I feel like the calendar turned on those days only moments ago. I still can close my eyes and hear Mister Rogers sing, "It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood ..."
MARV KNOX
Editor
___Joanna and I resisted the temptation to let the television babysit our girls. But I'll happily admit some programs and videos nurtured them significantly.
___Lindsay and Molly learned colors, shapes, numbers, letters and other building blocks of knowledge from Bert, Ernie, Big Bird and the "Sesame Street" gang. They memorized hours of folk songs with Sharon, Lois and Bram from "The Elephant Show," a wonderful program produced by Canadian TV. They wore out a video of Clifford, the Big Red Dog, barking along to simple tunes. And they sharpened their sense of humor on a morning show called "Adventures in Wonderland," starring Alice, the Mad Hatter and the March Hare.
___Some shows featured special effects, and others highlighted tremendous soundtracks. Several were quite sophisticated. But I liked "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" best.
___Maybe that was because he always seemed so unpretentious. His old sweaters reminded me of somebody's sartorially challenged bachelor uncle. And his program sets, bless them, looked like something I could've built, which isn't exactly a compliment.
___But Fred Rogers, a Presbyterian minister who sensed God's call to serve children, offered them gifts unmatched by glittery productions--gentleness and imagination.
___Mister Rogers always talked to children the way God intended. He spoke directly, honestly, never condescendingly, and he treated children as people of equal worth with grownups. Mostly, he spoke gently. His voice was unfailingly tender and sincere. He conveyed a sense of safety and understanding so vital to young lives.
___He also filled their minds with amazing, imaginative stories. The plots, though inventive, never were the point. Neither were his puppets and simple sets. He could have told the stories from a rocking chair, and they would have been just as effective. They were beautiful stories that enabled children to imagine not just a land of make-believe, but a land of real-world values. He talked about kindness, sharing, thankfulness, joy and happiness, honesty and faithfulness--all without ever using such grown-up words.
___Thank God for Mister Rogers. Generations of children are--or will be-- better adults because of what they learned in his neighborhood.
Get printer-friendly version of this story
Send this story to a friend
Contents/ Masthead / Why We're Here / Links / Archive / E-mail us/ SUBSCRIBE!
