"Won't you be my neighbor?" is the new documentary that chronicles the work of Mr. Rogers and is truly one of the best movies/documentaries that I have seen this year. If you grew up during the 60’s or the 70’s and had access to public television and the sensational programming that was available during that time (Sesame Street, Electric Company, etc…) then, you would have surely seen Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood and been privy to the song that uplifted a generation of kids with his prolific opening of, “Won’t you be my Neighbor?”
This song was a simple didley that Rogers performed at the opening of every episode. Hearing that song again, after all of these years, made me feel happy, made me feel joy. After all, it was just an expression of kindness. If there was one thing I learned from Mr. Rogers was that kindness is just a way of being. It’s not special. It’s not something that requires anything. There is just value in being kind, in being a good neighbor.
Thinking back on Rogers, I can now attest that he (as well as other factors) contributed to my state of disillusionment when I first moved out of state and on my own. I grew up on a city block, where all the neighbors knew each other, were invested in one another and helped one another. My block was my mini-community. It was not perfect and rainbows and unicorns but it was good. I came to think of the world that way; that when you lived around people, you knew your neighbors and you were close to them. Mooing to a new town and place taught me that was not always the case, I learned that people lived very separate and isolated lives and many times, they did not know their neighbors or feel a connection to them. This revelation was sad and disheartening, to say the least.
The real world looked a bit different from Mr. Roger’s neighborhood and my childhood city block. I would have to learn a new way of being and connecting…..
Some things that I know for sure:
1) I like living in a world of neighbors, of knowing them and being a part of them.
2) I like living in a world where you know that there are people who have your back, where they are genuinely kind.
3) “Won’t you be my neighbor” is an invitation to be friendly and to be friends. I like the idea of living in a friendly and loving world.
Please, won't you be my neighbor?
Yes I will be your neighbor, for we are called ro love our neighbors, even when they don't love us in return and evn when we don't like them
ReplyDeleteAs to the battlefield, yes I'm in that battlefield right now, simply because I willfully feed my disires
Thank you for your reply. Thank you for being my neighbor and knowing that we are all called to love ourselves as well as our neighbors. I wish you joy, peace and love in these chaotic times!
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