A Neighbor of Note: Mr. Rogers and Me

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood,
A beautiful day for a neighbor.
Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?...

I've always wanted to have a neighbor just like you.
I've always wanted to live in a neighborhood with you.

Won't you please,
Won't you please?
Please won't you be my neighbor?”
                                              -- Fred Rogers
                                                 Host of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood

Mr. Rogers trademark sweater is in the Smithsonian

For 35 years on PBS Television, Fred Rogers exchanged his shoes for sneakers, pulled his cardigan sweater out of the closet, asked thousands upon thousands of young kids to be his neighbor, and promised to like them just the way they were.

Many responded. All were rewarded. But for some, like Benjamin Wagner, the experience was more personal. For Ben, Mr. Rogers was not just the kindliest TV neighbor ever, he was a real-life neighbor on the island of Nantucket.

Wagner met Mr. Rogers as he was celebrating his 30th birthday. After singing his signature song from his show Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood and "Happy Birthday" to Wagner, Mr. Rogers offered him  this advice: “I feel so strongly that deep and simple is far more essential than shallow and complex." And then he asked Wagner to “spread the message.”

After Mr. Rogers' death in 2003, Wagner teamed up with his brother Christopher to begin making the documentary Mr. Rogers and Me, an 80-minute film detailing Mr. Rogers' life and legacy.

Today, the Wagner brothers appeared at the Newseum to show their film, which debuts on selected PBS stations and on DVD this month. Following the movie, the brothers hosted a panel of 3 of Mr. Rogers' friends to describe in person the effects Mr. Rogers has had on them. The panelists were:

• Maureen Orth, the wife of the late Meet the Press Host Tim Russert and another real-life Nantucket neighbor.
• NPR correspondent Susan Stamberg who had been involved with taping specials on children and divorce with Mr. Rogers and
• Amy Hollingsworth, who after a 10-year friendship with Mr. Rogers, wrote the book The Simple Faith of Mr. Rogers   

Stamberg said Rogers, who was shy, overweight and bullied as a child, had an innate ability to make people feel comfortable. For example, she became extremely nervous and unsure when it became time to work with Rogers on a special for children. She received a long telephone call from Daniel Tiger (a Rogers character from his show) who said she shouldn't be afraid.

"He knew just what I needed to hear," Stamberg said. "He had me almost wanting to suck my thumb. He's was amazing. He was everybody's Fred Rogers.

Wagner agreed that there is a universality to Mr. Rogers, noting that the "Me" in his film title refers to the unique relationships Rogers developed with people he encountered both on screen and in real life.

"The message is about Mr. Rogers the man, the values, the work," Wagner said. "He said the greatest gift you can give anyone is your honest self. He gave that gift to all of us"

Tales, Tidbits, and Tips
Mr. Rogers stopped producing his show, which debuted in 1968, in 2001. It is no longer on the air. However, DVDs of the episodes are available for purchase for people who want to see them again or show them to their children. Wagner said a show involving Rogers' character Daniel Tiger is ready for broadcast. The are many websites, such as this one, which contain pieces of Mr. Rogers'  spiritual wisdom. And, now there is the Wagner brothers' documentary. "There are people who say it (Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood) feels dated. I would say it feels timeless," Wagner said.