John and I finally watched Won't You Be My Neighbor last night, and wow. It lives up to the hype!
(It's not free anywhere yet, but you can rent it at Red Box.)
I expected to be a sobby mess by the end, but I have so few memories of the show that I really only had one or two teary-eyed moments. Instead, I found myself... awed. I can't think of a better word for it.
Mister Rogers is awe-inspiring.
I never knew how intentional his life was: how he knew from the start what his mission, his ministry, would be. And somehow he managed to live out that mission without judgement, offering unconditional love and acceptance and respect to everyone - apparently both on camera and off.
After the documentary I watched a few episodes of Mister Roger's Neighborhood on YouTube, and seeing it as an adult, I gotta say, it's calming in the best possible way. Not mind-numbing like ASMR or even Bob Ross (who I also love), but comforting, because you feel more acknowledged. There's also some surprisingly great music (that jazzy piano!) and fascinating "How It's Made" type segments that I don't remember at all. (Did all his shows have these? Because I love factory visits!)
And finally, I watched the most amazing clip of Mister Rogers on The Tonight Show with... oof... Joan Rivers. The contrast between the two is illuminating, to say the least (ha!), and if you can get through the cringe-worthy moments, there's pure gold at the end:
Imagine being so at peace with yourself, so sure, so open and loving of all, that you could sing a love song to Joan Rivers in front of an entire audience of snickering adults. Imagine knowing your purpose in life that well, and being so filled with joy that there's no room for embarrassment. Instead everyone else feels embarrassed for laughing. That's Mister Rogers.
Talk about goals, y'all.
I want to live like that.
I want to love like that.
And on days like today, when I'm feeling a little lost in what my purpose is, a little useless, a little insignificant, it helps to see the difference Mister Rogers made. If I can remind you - yes, you - that you matter, that the things and people you love matter, and that there's still goodness in this geeky world of ours? Well heck, that's all I want. That's the only legacy I want to leave. Anything else is just gravy.
Here's to loving so proudly, so joyfully, so LOUDLY that everyone else is embarrassed they're not doing the same.
