If you were lucky enough to grow up in the 70’s or 80’s, few things evoke such a feeling of unconditional acceptance and security as the voice of Fred Rogers.

Watching his show, Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, was one of my favorite childhood memories. I was a bookish, anxious, and introverted child in what, then to me, seemed like a world of extroverts. I didn’t always feel like I fit in but Fred made me feel that I was fine exactly as I was.

Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood ran on PBS for a staggering 31 seasons from 1968 until 2001, with only a gap of a few years in between. Fred Rogers taught many generations of children lessons in patience, understanding their feelings, and self-acceptance (just to name a few). Tom Hanks does an uncanny job of capturing the essence of the amazingly rare person Fred was, in all his nuances.

I’ve been in somewhat of a funk these past few weeks. It seems like bad news, feelings of cynicism, doom and gloom, and stress are descending on me from every conceivable angle. After watching A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood last night I felt all of that weight immediately lifted. Like magic, I was instantly reminded of the good still left in the world. I laughed when I realized that, all these years later, at nearly fifty years old, Mr. Rogers’ lessons are still impacting me in a positive way. This is a testament to the timelessness of his message.

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"How many times have you noticed that it's the little quiet moments in the midst of life that seem to give the rest extra-special meaning?" - Fred Rogers

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The film isn't exactly what I expected. The concept for it was based on an interaction that Esquire magazine columnist, Tom Junod, had with Fred back in the mid-nineties (click here to read the article). I don’t want to reveal any of the finer details of the plot but I will only say Fred had a profound impact on the life of Tom and his entire family.

If you need a similar break from the arguing and cynicism as well as a reminder of the good still left in the world, I highly suggest watching this film.

Rent The Film Here on Amazon

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"Some days, doing 'the best we can' may still fall short of what we would like to be able to do, but life isn't perfect on any front-and doing what we can with what we have is the most we should expect of ourselves or anyone else." ~ Fred Rogers

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Here’s a list of my Must Stream picks for last year:

1. The Bill Murray Stories: Life Lessons Learned From a Mythical Man ;
2. Heal;
3. The Kindness Diaries: Season Two;
4. Ramen Heads;
5. Anthony Bourdain's Raw Craft.; and
6. Peaky Blinders.

Happy Streaming,

Eric

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I am an American novelist, poet, traveler, and crypto-enthusiast. If you’ve enjoyed my work please sign up for my author newsletter at my website. Newsletter subscribers will receive exclusive updates and special offers and your information will never be sold or shared.

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