Word: mister
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...always vaguely aware of my neighbor's celebrity, but, as is the case with so many remarkable childhood circumstances, the full impact of Mister Rogers' reflected glory didn't hit me until I left home for college. It never ceased to amaze new acquaintances: I grew up just one block from the television legend. Everyone had questions. Did he really wear cardigans at home? (I don't think so). Did he sing "It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" when he answered the door? (Nope). Could I get an autograph for someone? (Oooh. I'd rather...
...while children inevitably gravitated toward him, it was Mister Rogers' effect on grownups that's especially astounding. A few years ago, when I brought my then 25-year-old boyfriend home for Christmas, we went to church on the Christmas Eve, and looking around at the candle-lit sanctuary, he suddenly poked his index finger into my side. "Ow!" I stage-whispered. "What're you doing?" "Look," he said, pointing behind the pew to a man seated two rows ahead. "It's Mister Rogers!" His glee was unmistakable, and after the service, he did his best imitation of nonchalance, trying...
...years ago, when Mister Rogers hung up his cardigan for the last time (the 72-year-old taped the final installment of his show in 2000, and it will air next week), a palpable sense of sadness permeates PBS. His death this week has compounded that feeling of loss...
...show will continue ad infinitum thanks to the glory of reruns, there is indeed a horrible finality to the end of "Neighborhood." It's the end of an era, and in a way, the true end of childhood for many of us who grew up seeing ourselves through Mister Rogers' gentle and compassionate eyes...
...most remarkable thing about Mister Rogers was not that he loved children, although that was apparent to anyone who observed him even for a moment. It's that he respected children, not just for their ability to amuse or inspire, but for their intellect, their inherent sense of right, and their penchant for honesty. For 33 years, "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" provoked laughter, wild feats of imagination and a sense of uniqueness in the children who were fortunate enough to spend 30 minutes in Mister Rogers' televised presence. And as for the children who actually spent time with the real person...