Won't You Be My Neighbor

It’s Superbowl Sunday, and of course, there’s hype not only about the matchup between the Seahawks and Patriots, but also the commercials. I don’t know what it is about those Clydesdale horses in the Anheuser-Busch commercials, but their majesty and grand gallops always make me a bit teary. This year, I was able to catch a preview of a commercial with Lady Gaga singing the iconic theme song from Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood entitled, “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”  Those of us a bit older remember that song as Mr. Rogers sat to change his shoes upon entering his make-believe house.

Fred Rogers dedicated his life to instilling compassion, kindness and acceptance into the hearts of children. I loved his show as a kid, and I loved exposing my children to the humble and loving ways in which Fred Rogers moved about the world. He used his platform to foster connection, model empathy, and encourage healthy expression of feelings. Everyone who watched Fred Rogers knew of his unwavering gentle demeanor which was a powerful defiance against meanness and ill-will.

Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood ran for over 30 years on public television and quickly became a model for purposeful children’s television. He was unafraid to address difficult issues like grief and anger. Presented in a way children could understand, he talked and sang about feeling isolated, sad, or being different. There was always a place of belonging for anyone in Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.

Think about the periods of unrest we’ve navigated as a country between 1968 and 2000 when Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood aired. In one episode in 1969, Mr. Rogers shared a wading pool with the show’s black policeman, Officer Clemons. You see the two men, one black and one white, with their bare feet in the same wading pool. At that time, segregation still existed in some places in our country. Different water fountains, different bathrooms, and different recreational swimming pools remained stubborn obstacles towards equality; and then you have Mr. Rogers offering to share his towel with Officer Clemons as they soaked their feet together. The image remains a powerful reminder of Mr. Rogers’ example to lead with kindness and compassion.

Listening to the new cover sung by Gaga, I couldn’t help but juxtaposed the song’s simple invitation for us to be empathetic and connecting with one another with the images of brutality and violence we see happening in our country. All you need to do is watch news reels and witness the hard and callous ways we treat one another.  My guess is most of us are heartsick by the cruelty that’s somehow being justified in the name of patriotism. One can’t help but be aghast and profoundly disheartened by the devastating harm imposed onto one by many. Surely, there must be a kinder way to solve problems. Perhaps we all need to take a trip to Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.

As you know, I don’t often write about things that divide us. I like to share space with you that invites, includes, and builds upon what we all yearn for in this world. Today, however, as one who recognizes how dehumanizing breeds more dehumanizing, I offer hope for a reset in our beautiful and varied neighborhoods across our diverse country. One can never go wrong with offering kindness in deed and word.

Much of the world will be tuning in to the Superbowl today. Perhaps, just perhaps through Lady Gaga’s voice, we can pause for a moment in collective compassion for all our neighbors.

“Let’s make the most of this beautiful day. Since we’re together, we might as well say, won’t you be mine, could you be mine, won’t you be my neighbor.”  Fred Rogers.