America Needs More Mr. Rogers
How one man made a profound difference in the neighborhood
“Knowing that we can be loved exactly as we are gives us all the best opportunity for growing into the healthiest of people.” Fred Rogers
We moved to our neighborhood about two years ago and my husband became friendly right away with a few of the neighbors. Me, I was a bit more apprehensive and reserved. I like to watch and observe before I interact with another especially a neighbor. The last thing one would want is to end up with a nightmare of a neighbor or get off on the wrong foot with a new neighbor. My husband had no filters meaning he lived carefree like a child, no consequences, just being. While I had tons of filters. Living in New York most of my life, taught me how to always guard my every move and keep one eye on my neighbors. Doing this, I survived. All my years, I have never ended up with a nightmare of a neighbor and didn’t plan to change that in the new neighborhood.
Nevertheless, my actions did not deter my husband. He went his merry way day after day and month after month talking to our neighbors as I looked on suspiciously. It took me almost a year, to begin interacting with my neighbors.
On the right side of our house was a very young couple with a young baby, the left side of us was another more mature couple, in front of us were two very mature couples, no children living with them and diagonally across from our house was another young couple with a young baby.
This young couple introduced themselves to us readily when they saw us working on our front-yard. Busy with the house left little time to interact but it was my plan to do so once I got a moment. The other young couple to our right was a little slow in befriended us. The other surrounding neighbors have resulted thus far in a constant friendly wave occasionally.
Fast forward to 2020, I have now befriended and interacted with many of our neighbors and it had proven to be such a joy living in the neighborhood. When we’d go on vacation, they’d watch our house and mail and when they were gone, we returned the favor. My neighbors on the left and right of me, both have fruit trees as us, and we have all shared our fruits with each other and engaged in friendly conversation. Priceless!!
Now when I exit the house, we greet each other with such warmth and care. It is a delight to live in a Mr. Roger’s kind of a neighborhood. We have attended each others parties and shared homemaking ideas.
Priceless, we installed some fake grass on our adjoining side yard, our neighbor shortly thereafter complimented our fake grass by constructing red bricks on their side. Now that’s a good neighbor. This same neighbor made us breakfast and delivered it too us one Sunday Morning. Another time, this same neighbor made us smoothies and delivered to our door step. I have shared by baking, sweet potato pie, which they had never had. Priceless!! Also, they recommended a window company for our installation of windows throughout our entire home and we got a huge discount as a result of this recommendation. Thus far we have shared much quality time and supported each other events and parties.
Priceless!! Most notable of all, is our real Mr. Roger of the neighborhood who lives directly in front of our home and he was the one I was most reluctant to befriend. He had long while hair, long white beard and had a very rugged demeanor, like a cattle rancher or something. He was very tall and thin and would engage in humorous conversation with my husband as I gazed on. He was quick witted and was a jack of all trades. There was nothing that he didn’t know something about. He had done and seen it all. Now retired as a professional, he works as a actor in videos, films and commercials. Very interesting characters. Eventually, seeing he was harmless, he started to grow on me like a slug.
What seal the deal of friendship, was the day we had worked painting our house all weekend and left our garage up all night long. Our Mr. Roger saw the garage up, knocked on our door, the doorbell didn’t work so we didn’t hear him. He did the Mr. Roger’s good deed, he dismantle our garage door and closed it. On the next morning, he returned and advise what he had done. This showed he cared about the neighborhood and us as new neighbors. the deal was sealed, he was the Mr. Roger of the neighborhood. Anytime, we had any concerns about the house or the new town we were living in, he was the go to person since he had lived in the neighborhood longer than most. I was so touched with his action.
From then on, I decided to see him in a different light. For his good deed, I bought him some large cranberry cookies that he loved so much. Since then, there have been other noteworthy deeds, too many to share, but the most notable and comforting was when he spied an unshady character at our door.
It all started, one Sunday evening when I was home alone, there was ring at the door. I hurriedly went downstairs and discovered a very unsavory character at the door. I could see him but he couldn’t see me. He wandered around our front patio and checked out some figures that were on our front table. He actually took time to read the writings on the figurine. That behavior from a stranger was weird. Holding my breath, I starred at him, until he left and appeared to go to my neighbor on the left but couldn’t be sure due to the design of our house. I stood peering out the door until this shady looking man returned and walked in the opposite direction of our neighbor. He strolled down the street in a manner very unusual, like a shifting and restless manner. Once out of sight, I slowly opened my door, looked after him and returned to the house. Also, I spotted my neighbor across the street peering over to our house as if he saw the man come to our door.
Trying to figure out where this man was, I retreated to my staircase to catch a view of his whereabouts and suddenly he reappeared and I noticed by now our neighbor was looking after the man also and had come to the edge of the street where the man approached him in conversation as the man pointed to our house and my two neighbors on the side of our house.
As they chatted in the street, I noticed a black painted use cop like car parked in front of our house. He appeared to be the type of character that would drive such a car. In our neighborhood, very few cars parked on the street therefore you could easily spot an unusual or visiting car.
After much exchange between my neighbor and this man as the man showed him something on his phone, finally my neighbor recanted to his yard as the man walked toward the black car and sat in it for a few minutes as he busied himself doing something. I peered out the door until he drove off. Once gone, I stepped outside to check if he had left the neighborhood completely and he had. The man was very strange looking and acting restlessly. Even when he talked to my neighbor he pranced around him very weirdly pointing at our house and the neighbor’s houses.
With much relief as I retreated into our home and was very thrilled to have such a good Mr. Rogerlike neighbor who truly cares about the neighborhood and all its’ homeowners. It took me awhile to truly appreciate Mr. Roger in our neighborhood but now we are his biggest fans. It is an honor to have him as our neighbor and couldn’t be more blessed with anyone better.
My advice to all, there is always one Mr. Roger in every neighborhood, so seek him or her out and allow them to know how much you appreciate them for all they do for others. “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care!!”
Mr. Roger’s quotes:
When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”
Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.
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