Mr. Rogers' Passion for Learning
Fred Rogers, mild-mannered pioneer of children's TV, author, minister and musician, is not taking retirement lying down. Just over a year after the final airing of episode of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood (it lives on in reruns), he is releasing new books on childhood development, hosting a web site and speaking out on behalf of kids, families and educators. So it was a great day in the neighborhood when Rogers agreed to an interview for the premiere issue of Live & Learn. Consider his words on:
Retirement:
When my wife is asked what it's like to have Fred retired,
her immediate response is "that's a joke!" And I
like it that way.
We are not adding more programs to the Mr. Rogers Neighborhood library but we still have very full days. The Mister Rogers' Parenting Book just came out. It's a companion piece to my Playtime book. Our company, Family Communications, is very busy. It's a small, focused non-profit organization of just 13 people who wear many hats. And I swim every day to stay in shape.
His Childhood:
I grew up in a family that valued children. So, consequently, I
have within me this sense that childhood is extremely valuable.
That is where the seeds of the future are sown. I was an only
child for 11 years before my sister was adopted. There was a good
deal of attention paid to me. It's a wonder that I wasn't
spoiled rotten.
We used to visit my grandfather McFeely at his farm every Sunday. Invariably he would say something to me as we were leaving like "you know Freddie you've made this day a special day just by your being here and your being yourself." I've been able to pass that on to a lot of kids through television.
Spirituality:
All I need to do is to do my best each day. The rest is in the
hands of the eternal. I believe that there is a loving spirit at
the center of the Universe who longs to be in touch with each one
of us. This spirit longs to be able to appreciate what the
creation is meant to be.
Role Models:
Dr. William Orr was the first professor I had at the Seminary.
Dr. Orr was the kind of person who—on a winter's
day—might go out for lunch with his overcoat and come back
without it. Somebody would ask him where it was and he would say,
"I met somebody who needed it more than I did." He was
such a believer in what he studied that he actually lived it.
Teach:
It's by example that people teach. There is an old Quaker
saying: "Attitudes are caught, not taught." It's
existential learning.
Television:
I was convinced that this was much more than a television program
because of the way people responded through the mail. I just read
a letter that practically brought me to tears, it was so
beautiful. This woman talked about what The Neighborhood
had meant to her and also what it means to her as a mother. And
this happens almost everyday.
Teachers:
My feeling is that you can have very fancy buildings but if you
don't have teachers with extra fancy hearts, the buildings
don't mean anything. If you really love something in front of
children, they will get the idea that would be something that
would be fun to learn. I hope that teachers realize that they
might not hear it today but in 30 years someone will come up to
them and say "You may not remember me but you did something
that left an impression on me."
Music:
I have always loved music so it was only natural for me to invite
many marvelous musicians on The Neighborhood. We heard
about a four-year-old in Chicago who heard Yo Yo Ma for the first
time on our program. He pointed to the television set and said,
'I do that." His parents thought that was sweet but he
said it again the next day and finally badgered them so that they
found a Suzuki class and started him with a one sixteenth size
cello. That kid is now in college and still playing the cello.
His mother, who had to help with practice, got interested in the
cello and is now part of a string quartet in their town.
On Being Great:
Actually, I am grateful.
