Won't You Be My Neighbor

Throwback Thursday: Article written on 3/11/22

For one of my classes, we were assigned to watch the Mister Rogers documentary, Won’t You Be My Neighbor. This is not to be confused with the film starring Tom Hanks, It's a Beautiful Day in This Neighborhood; however, I recommend you watch both. The documentary was a collection of behind-the-scenes clips of Fred Rogers, in addition to interviews from his family and those who worked with him. The most asked question seemed to be: is Mister Rogers all an act? Could a man truly be this cool, calm, and caring in real life, or was he stuck in a world of make-believe?

Living in a society filled with so much negativity and destruction, we instinctively become skeptical of behavior that goes against the norms because we are afraid of what we don't understand. We associate kindness with ill intentions and inauthenticity; something so good just can't be true. We are quick to judge the free spirits who are marching to the beat of their own drum because we're too afraid to join in. When people like Mister Rogers exist who are unapologetically themselves, we stand in the back of the room and judge since it's easier to ostracize someone than to see the world through their eyes. People have forgotten how to listen and to feel, instead words are used haphazardly to hurt one another. As a person who loves to write, I’ve learned that language has the beautiful power to uplift those on the receiving end. The same is true the other way around: words can leave a permanent scar when used rashly, like a match igniting a dry field.

With crisis overtaking our world, now more than ever we need a figure like Mister Rogers to come in and spread positivity. He used his platform to provide meaningful content for his audience, which is something I hope I am upholding with Charming Chatter. I want to keep Mister Rogers’ ideologies alive by inspiring everyone reading to watch these films with your own families because it opens up a healthy discussion on important issues you may be nervous to bring up.

I want to say a thank you to all of my wonderful and supportive readers who allow me to do what I love. From the words of Mister Rogers, “You've made this day a special day, by just being you. There's no person in the whole world like you. And I like you just the way you are”. All of you make my days significantly better and I appreciate you taking some time to listen to what I have to say. In case any of you need to hear it, you are indeed perfect just the way you are and never need to change to fit someone else’s impossible standards. Have a wonderful day and thank you for being a part of the Charming Chatter neighborhood!