Life is for service . . .
Fred Rogers on fostering our fellow human beings. (The Commonplace Book Project #5)
The Commonplace Project is a daily post based on Ray Bradbury’s advice to aspiring writers: read a poem, a short story, and an essay everyday for 1000 days. These posts start with a quote and go wherever the rabbit hole leads. Follow The 1000 Day MFA so you don’t miss a thing.
“Anything that we can do to help foster the intellect and spirit and emotional growth of our fellow human beings, that is our job. Those of us who have this particular vision must continue against all odds. Life is for service.” — Fred Rogers
My daughter, Adrienne, and I spent the last two days in Pittsburgh. I learned a couple of things. A) Pittsburgh is one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever seen. Maybe the most beautiful. And B) it’s Mr. Roger’s neighborhood.
Mr. Rogers was part of my life for a longer time, I think, than he was for most people. Because I’m the oldest of nine kids, he was in our living room for a good twenty years. When I got married, in fact, my youngest brother was just past the Mr. Rogers age. And then I had two babies in two years.
So for the first nearly thirty years of my life, Mr. Rogers was either super important to me or at least formed a kind and encouraging part of the background.
I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that my lifelong love of stories was fostered by The Neighborhood of Make-Believe.
I think America needs Fred Rogers now, more than it ever has. Watch this video of him addressing the US Senate on behalf of public television.
If you haven’t seen the 2018 biopic, Won’t You Be My Neighbor, I highly recommend it. It shows how Fred Rogers managed to both genuinely kind and accepting — of every single human being — and a straight up rebel when it came to the things he believed in.
You Are Special: Words of Wisdom for All Ages from a Beloved Neighbor is collection of Fred Rogers’ thoughts on a multitude of sudjects.
I loved this essay in The Atlantic about Mr. Rogers’ legacy.
This post if part of The Commonplace Book Project.
Here’s my secret weapon for sticking with whatever your thing is.
Shaunta Grimes is a writer and teacher. She is an out-of-place Nevadan living in Northwestern PA with her husband, three superstar kids, two dementia patients, a good friend, Alfred the cat, and a yellow rescue dog named Maybelline Scout. She’s on Twitter @shauntagrimes and is the author of Viral Nation and Rebel Nation and the upcoming novel The Astonishing Maybe. She is the original Ninja Writer.
