My apologies, I did not paste the entire article.....It is worth the read
I was at Reagan International before it was named that. Mr. Rogers was at the luggage carousel. He was such a nice man to those strangers around him. No wonder the children loved him.
Fred used to say that the space between the TV screen and viewer was “Hallowed ground.”
As you might imagine, Mr. Rogers was a superb homilist.
He was one of the very, very few people I’ve ever known who thought everyone he met was “Special”.
I think the world was diminished by his death.
He was also a reverend. I believe we lost him shortly after 9/11. Just when I thought things were scary enough Mr. Rogers left us.
My sis’ dogs love to take naps while watching recorded eps of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. She puts him on and even the doggies feel safe.
Mister Rodgers was 100% what he appeared to be.
He was a man of deep faith who truly loved and, more importantly, wanted to protect children. He never spoke “down” to them (despite his sing-song delivery) — he truly respected them, and everyone, as unique children of God with infinite dignity.
Most people (me especially) don’t deserve to even carry his sneakers, much less hold his sweater for him.
RIP Fred Rodgers — you truly had a positive effect on the world. You are missed.
I’m in my 2nd half century on this Earth, and I still (and will always) love Fred Rogers. He was a good and honorable man.
When the subject of Mr. Rogers comes up I always make it a point to let people know that he has the deepest respect of this old man.
Mr. Rogers always seemed like such a kind man, but one never knows what is on air personna, and what is real. So I didn’t give it much thought.
But one night I was watching Candid Camera. They had a prank set up where they were showing tv or film critics in town for a meeting being taken to their room and then the bellhop apologizing because there was no tv in the room. Of course, all of these folks raised cain and made a scene because there was no tv.
Unbeknownest to Funt, checking in the hotel that day was Mr. Rogers, so they decided to try the same prank on him. But when Mr. Rogers was told there was no TV, he immediately went about trying to make the bellhop feel at ease for having to deliver such a message. He said very kind, “Oh that’s okay, I’m not much of a tv watcher, just some news now and then....and I wasn’t really planning on watching TV tonight.” He was sooooo gracious and soft spoken through the whole thing.
Well that sealed it for me, I realized that Mr. Rogers’s personna on TV was exactly who he was in real life.