Two decades ago when I was just out of my teens and trying to figure out, "How should we then live," I ran across this simple advice: "Whoever can move you to emotion, automatically wins."

In the past week, nay the whole of 2021, the headlines have moved us to horrible, profound, exhausting emotion. Rage at Fake Biden for stealing the Presidency and murdering our people in Afghanistan. Sorrow for the families who needlessly lost their sons and daughters. Fear of the unvetted refugees/terrorists being imported nightly by plane via Mexico. Shock at North Korea restarting their plutonium program. Empathy for those affected by Hurricanes Ida and Julian. Disgust that Voter Fraud is being forgotten in the deluge of other headlines. Excitement for the Maricopa Forensic Audit report...if it's ever released! And, above it all, missing our beloved President Trump.

Every time we think, "Now I've heard it all" a more horrible, heinous, inhumane headline eclipses the last horrible, heinous, inhumane headline. (Remember the Weiner laptop!?!)

Our hearts are exhausted yet we feel we must maintain our high state of emotional fervor or we'll be letting the side down. Abandoning our true President. Not being patriotic if we ignore the news for a few hours (or a whole day!) and allow ourselves to calm down.

If you're anything like me, your emotional energy is sapped. Since January, you've been on an emotional roller coaster. You've nothing left to give and it's affecting your personal life and health.

Last weekend, I ran across someone who might help us cope.

Last Friday, Sirhan Sirhan was recommended for parole after serving fifty-three years in prison for the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy on June 5th, 1968.

Not even four short months prior to RFK's death, a new show debuted on PBS called Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. Mr. Rogers used the venue of television to teach children how to cope with the challenges and terrors of life and endure profound tragedies. He equipped three generations with the skills to process and express their strong, negative emotions in healthy ways so as adults they could raise their own children in a calm, healthy family that, unlike mine, were not torn apart by the drama and trauma of adults unable to cope with their own emotions.

On June 6th, 1968, Mr. Rogers (I will never call him "Fred") was faced with the terrible task of helping preschoolers understand and emotionally process yet another Kennedy assassination.

His words on that day were, of course, impeccable but what struck me most was his demeanor. Like all Americans, he was shocked, concerned and grieving but unlike our 21st Century culture where hyperness, screaming, jumping up-and-down and bouncing-off-the-walls has been normalized by television as proper behavior for children and adults alike, Mr. Rogers modeled what we desperately need today: calm, serenity, tranquility.

Born in 1928, Mr. Rogers lived through World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the 1960s, the Gulf War, 9/11 and all the dramas and traumas between and betwixt those events. He knew that staying calm didn't make him any less concerned, sad or patriotic. His strength lay in his serenity as it still does for us today.

I conclude this short article with the video and transcript of Mr. Rogers' words on June 6th, 1968 because deep inside every one of us is a little child who is grieving for our beloved nation and struggling to cope with the strong emotions aroused by the recent deluge of horrific headlines.

Mr. Rogers makes it okay to stay calm when the world seems to be crumbling 'round our ears. It crumbled 'round his too, he stayed calm and America muddled through. She always does.

He knew what we've forgotten: the strongest person is the calmest person who cannot be moved to emotion when others yank their chain. The truly strong person holds something in reserve instead of sapping their energy with dramatic emotion.

It may sound silly, but finding this video on Saturday of Mr. Rogers was life-changing. After a year of writing AMERICA: The Blog and posting shocking headlines to my News page, I was looking for someone to give me permission to be serene in the midst of chaos. Looking for someone to say, "It's okay to stay calm. You don't have to get upset even when upsetting things happen. Staying calm doesn't mean you love your country any less."

Perhaps his profound calm came from his deep faith. After much teasing for the eight years it took him to achieve his Bachelor of Divinity degree from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, Mr. Rogers was ordained in 1963. He knew what so many of us have forgotten: "Be [anxious] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7 KJV)

Lately, I've also been reminded of Luke 12: 11-12: "And when they bring you...unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say." And never forget: "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7 KJV)

I hope this 1968 clip (transcription below) of Mr. Rogers soothes and comforts your soul as it did mine. Even in our forties, fifties, sixties, Mr. Rogers continues to guide and teach us as he taught three generations of Americans.

(Start this video at 5:42, if it doesn't start there automatically.)

Growing up, being allowed to watch television was a rare treat for me, usually reserved for the days I was home sick from school. Only then would Mom fetch her little ol' black-and-white TV from the attic so I could watch Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood while eating grilled cheese dipped in ketchup which is still my favorite comfort food.

Through Mr. Rogers, I was introduced to the classical music of Yo-Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman (who I'd later see in person with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra; both Ma and Perlman insisted on playing for Mr. Rogers' memorial), fell in love with opera (A Star for Kitty), saw all races living comfortably together (no need to yack on and on about skin color, for Pete's sake!), learned how crayons are made and felt ecstatic joy and deep sorrow when Trolley took me into, and then unwillingly out of, the Neighborhood of Make-Believe.

Mr. Rogers became one of my favorite people. He wasn't condescending. He wasn't impatient. He said he liked you, not loved you, because like is more important and "love" would've been a lie and Mr. Rogers never lied to you. He treated you with respect, even though you were only a little child. One week before he left us in 2003, I had a premonition he would soon go.

Most of all, he never, ever let us down. He was the same person on his show, the same person with Johnny Carson, the same person when he was set-up by Candid Camera. He always spoke slowly, carefully and eloquently. His word was impeccable. He always looked for The Helpers...people helping other people. He practiced what he preached treating his fellow human beings at least as well as he wanted to be treated. As his wife, Joanne, always said, "What you saw, was what you got."

Of course, back in the 1980s It wasn't cool to love Mr. Rogers. Only once did I make the mistake of mentioning him to my classmates and I was ridiculed so intensely, I never mentioned him again from the age of 7 to age 32 when this man I'd just met online responded, "I loved watching Mr. Rogers too." That man was Michael and I married him!

This weekend, one thing led to another and I discovered so many treasures online...Mr. Rogers' presentation to the Senate Committee on Commerce, his interview with Johnny Carson, Mr. Rogers leaping onto the stage (skipped the stairs!) at his TV Hall of Fame induction to hug Jeff Erlanger, his FindAGrave with over 3k+ tributes...even the opera he wrote that was so magical to my seven year old eyes!

If Mr. Rogers and his Neighborhood are some of your fondest childhood (or adult!) memories too, then these are for you.

Everything Neighborhood: http://www.neighborhoodarchive.com/

Mr. Rogers' Sweater in the Smithsonian: https://www.si.edu/object/nmah_680637

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-indelible-mister-rogers-136524510/

Mr. Rogers' FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7216800/fred-rogers

Jeff Erlanger FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/86426340/jeffrey-clay-erlanger

Miss Audrey Paulificate (Audrey Botkin Roth): https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/161666340/audrey-roth

Lady Aberlin's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betty_aberlin/

Handyman Negri's 95th Birthday Party (Yes! He's still alive!): https://www.wzum.org/jazz-blog/2021/6/10/wzumthesecen-yphg7

Chuck Aber (He's still alive too!) brings Daniel Tiger to life for a whole new generation of children: https://thealmanac.net/news/mister-rogers-actors-visit-bethel-park/article_8008ec99-8774-5540-98a8-3bc5c5dc4e2a.html

Thank you for stopping by the America: The Blog neighborhood. I never take it fore granted that you take time from your busy schedule to read the effluence of my fevered little brain!

You've made this day special, just by being you.