Fred Rogers was one of my heroes. Beyond all that he did for education and public television, I continue to be amazed and overwhelmed by the tremendous positive effect he had on the self-esteem and creativity of the children he touched with his television program, songs and stories.
As a child, I really wanted to be Mr. Rogers' neighbor. Because we didn't like the family that lived next door to us (they never answered the door on Halloween and once yelled at us for accidentally kicking a soccer ball onto their lawn), every time Mr. Rogers would ask "won't you be my neighbor?", I would ask my parents if it was possible he could move in instead of the Gibsons.
Whenever I needed encouragement, I'd break out one of my Mr. Rogers' record albums (you know you had at least one), and inevitably, I'd come upon It's You I Like. The simple lyrics and melody always hit the spot, and let me know if nothing else, Mr. Rogers liked me.
Don't know why this hit me on a Sunday morning, but here's a little Mr. Rogers. And he likes you, too.
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