Is It A Beautiful Day In Your Neighborhood?

There are many television programs that seem fascinating as a child but as we get older we either begin to realize how bad they are or we think about how much they have changed and the fact that Elmo must die. Even some of the good shows that we remember watching when we were younger seem to lose a little something when we either get the adult jokes (hello Fraggle Rock) or we watch them again and see how horrible the acting really is. However, there is the occasional program that, even years later, you look back and no matter how cheesy, simple, or dated they are, they still hold a special place in your memory.

There are also very few instances that I have experienced that makes you appreciate those programs even more and have a greater respect for the show. Unfortunately, this frequently happens when we watch a modern version, which is crap, and you realize how good the original was. Then there are instances, like the one I had this evening, when I watch a program that outlined the history of the program and the man behind this long standing television series.

If you watch Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood today you would think that it is all an act, that no one can be that friendly and sincere in their daily life. Watching "Mister Rogers & Me", you really come to realize that Fred Rogers was one of those few people who refused to see the faults in people and made a conscious decision to see the good in us all. He really believed that we are all special in many diverse ways (insert your own joke here).

While there is no replacing the positive influence that your parents and family have on who you are, especially in my case, you can’t help but think that shows like this had some impact on us. Don’t get me wrong, I can be as cynical and combative as the next person, but I also try to see the good in people. I enjoy talking and getting to know people not really caring about what they do for a living but who they really are. I guess that is why I can talk to just about anyone and for long stretches of time. I guess, to a certain extent, I treat everyone as a neighbor.

That is the true legacy of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. It isn’t in the ratings, awards, or longevity. It is in the small changes for the better that the show has made in many of us years after the last time we watched it. It is about how we see ourselves and how we treat one another. We may have different views, divergent opinions, and strong disagreements but that doesn’t comprise all that we are. That doesn’t mean we can respect each other and treat one another as neighbors.

Of course, if you don’t want to be my neighbor this picture is for you….

 

…and if you refuse to respect my opinions as I respect yours this picture is definitely for you…

 

In case you missed it, the word of the day is sarcasm. Learn it, embrace it, and let Trolley take you to the Neighborhood of Make Believe so we can all see sarcasm in action through the use of hand puppets. What can I say, I'm not Mister Rogers but it is still a beautiful day in the neighborhood, isn’t it?

Look, It’s A Happy Tree!

Today reminded me of those cold winter days from childhood when school is closed an you have free reign of the house. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how you look at it, I was able to make it to work this morning with little difficulty. It may have been a slow journey with idiots on the road that don’t know how to drive in the snow but those same people can’t drive when the roads are clear so it wasn’t much of a difference.

While I was not able to partake in such lack of activity, the white landscape made me recall such memories. Many of you remember those same mornings watching Bob Barker put some shady moves on his beauties (by the way, happy 90^th Bob) just before ABC news at noon would tell you that Armageddon is upon us and we should all start coming to terms with our life and our G-d. But that was just a fleeting thought from those antsy days. The real entertainment didn’t begin until the afternoon.

When were much younger those afternoon hours were filled with cartoons or Sesame Street or a stroll through Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood. A few years later it turned into Gilligan’s Island and Hogan’s Heroes mini marathons with the occasional sojourn with the Addams Family or the Munsters. But, inevitably, there was a time during those school days when there was a show so fascinating that you could watch episode after episode until the sky turned dark.

 

Some of you may not remember but Bob Ross was like snow day crack for those of us of a certain age. For some reason we could watch him paint, yes I said paint, for hours at a time. Happy tree after happy tree we could never understand the appeal but, at the same time, couldn’t take our eyes off of the screen. It all seemed so easy but we didn’t, at least those of us with an absence of artistic ability, know how to do it. We may have tried from time to time but our trees seemed more like a Dali inspired Rorschach test rather than happy.

But, years later, I think I have finally figured out why it was, and to a certain extent still is, so entertaining… it is a legal mellowness. Simply watching this guy for thirty minutes will get you high by association which makes sense because he seems higher than Jim Henson when he created Fraggle Rock during every episode. That is the only explanation for the fact that “happy trees” seeming like a logical description. This might be why the “just say no” campaign was so successful at the time… everyone was watching Bob Ross on PBS and didn’t need it.  

So, if you need to mellow, sit down and relax. Light a scented candle, grab a pile of snacks, and

watch Bob Ross. I can feel my eyes getting blood shot already. Just make sure you don’t have to drive anywhere for at least twelve hours afterward of you might find yourself being one of those idiots on the road that doesn’t know how to drive.