Won't You Be My Neighbor?

By C.J. Hirschfield

I’m not ashamed to say that I have a copy of a little book by my bedside titled Wisdom from The World According to Mr.Rogers: Important Things to Remember. It features quotes and anecdotes from Fred Rogers about courage, love, inner discipline and, of course, being good neighbors.

For those of you who don’t know who Mr. Rogers was (he died in 2003), he hosted a revolutionary children’s television show called “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” for over three decades. Wearing his signature zippered cardigans (knitted by his mother), and joined by his puppet friends, he spread the message of kindness and love—always respecting kids, and never talking down to them.

The U.S. Postal Service just announced that it will immortalize Mr. Rogers with a Forever postage stamp. (It will be released in March.) A documentary about Fred Rogers, Won't You Be My Neighbor?, recently premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. And if this isn’t enough, Oakland’s own Tom Hanks recently signed on to star in a biopic about Mr. Rogers, You Are My Friend.

Why all the sudden interest in Mr. Rogers? When you think about it, we’ve never needed him more than we do now.

In Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood

By C.J. Hirschfield

“My hunch is that if we allow ourselves to give who we really are to the children in our care, we will in some way inspire cartwheels in their hearts.”  -- Fred Rogers

On Mother’s Day, instead of having breakfast in bed, I was on an early-morning plane to Latrobe, Pennsylvania – birthplace of Arnold Palmer, Rolling Rock beer, and Fred McFeely Rogers – to participate in a symposium about developing and disseminating messages to improve outcomes for children and families.

I left Latrobe two days later with cartwheels in my heart.

C.J. Hirschfield with a photo of Fred Rogers at the Fred Rogers Center at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.

The Reality of "Reality TV"

By C.J. Hirschfield

Children’s Fairyland has been approached to be the location of reality TV shows exactly four times. We’ve graciously declined three times, and just learned that we probably should have said no to the fourth as well.