Today may be Friday the 13th, but that’s no reason to worry because it’s also World Kindness Day and Mister Rogers Cardigan Day!
I grew up watching Mister Rogers Neighborhood and the show has always had a special place in my heart, but Shane actually had a chance to meet Mister Rogers. While Shane was in high school, he volunteered at the local PBS station, which was KTEH at the time, and he was the youngest person to direct live TV in the station’s history. He met Mister Rogers while volunteering at a live pledge-drive event where Mister Rogers was speaking. Mister Rogers was intrigued that Shane was directing live TV and made a point to spend a few minutes talking to Shane. Although their interaction was short, it certainly left an impression; Shane remembers him being “genuine, exactly like he was on his show. To watch him talk to kids was amazing, it’s like he spoke their language.”
Joanne Rogers, Mister Rogers widow, was interviewed by Amy Kaufman with the Los Angeles Times in March of this year. Amy wanted to know what wisdom Mister Rogers might have for us during this pandemic (full story here):
“People want to know what wisdom [Joanne] thinks her late husband, Fred Rogers, would have imparted to the world during this pandemic.
‘When Fred was a boy and scary things would happen to him, his mother used to tell him: “Freddy, look for the helpers.” So he would have talked about the helpers,’ Joanne tells those on the other end of the line.
‘Helpers,’ she explains, are those individuals who — even at the height of global chaos — try to find a way to ease the burden for others. Doctors, nurses, grocery store cashiers, mail carriers — the friend who called Joanne to offer to bring her food even though he was ‘not a young man’ and had heart issues.”
So today as you hear more crazy news on this Friday the 13th in 2020, remember to look for the helpers, and remember to be one of the helpers too. Also, when you get home tonight, maybe put on your favorite cardigan in honor of Mister Rogers.