143, PBS, and $20 million
There are so many people that we can all think of that have made a difference in our lives and left a lasting impact on the world around them. Can you think of someone you might know that has made an impact on your life? What would you want to tell them? Could you tell them you love them? I bet you could.
Have you ever sent the number 143 to someone to tell them you love them? How did you feel after you typed 143? I bet you felt special. I bet you made them feel special too. Did you ever wonder who popularized using 143 to tell each other I love you?
You may already know. Fred “Mister” Rogers didn’t originate the numeric code, but he sure loved using it to tell hundreds of millions of children around the world that he loved them. Generations of young people learned that it was normal to have all sorts of different feelings and if our feelings were upsetting it was ok to talk about them. We learned that after we talked about them we would feel better. We learned to care for ourselves and we learned to care for other people.
Simon and Garfunkel sang, “Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio? Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you.” I wonder now, where have you gone Mister Rogers? Our world turns its lonely eyes to you. Of course we can all carry on what Mister Rogers has taught us and be good neighbors to each other. Sometimes that doesn’t seem all that exciting, doing small things to make each other feel good about ourselves. If we make it a habit, if we make it our life’s work, I promise you not only will it be exciting, it will leave a lasting legacy.
In 1969, the Senate was considering cutting funding for PBS, public television. The first two days of hearings had not impressed the committee and funding for public television was on life support. Then Fred Rogers took the stand. Fred had a little known children’s show called Mister Roger’s Neighborhood. Senator Pastore, who was in charge of the proceedings, hushed the murmurs of those gathered in the chamber and chatting between witnesses by pounding his gavel. It was obvious that the Senator felt he had better places to be and he just wanted to get on with it and get the hearing out of the way. With an exasperated tone of voice he let Fred know he could begin his testimony, “Alright Rogers you’ve got the floor.”
Mister Rogers explained the mission of his program and his work to address the inner needs of children. He explained how his show cost $6000 to produce and that $6000 was the same cost to produce two minutes of cartoons. Fred was concerned that the content we were entertaining our children with just taught them to deal with their feelings by bopping someone over the head. Fred Rogers wanted to teach children that feelings are mentionable and manageable. Mister Roger’s Neighborhood was designed to teach children that they are special and important and he concluded each show by saying, “I like you just the way you are.”
Senator Pastore cut in, “I’m supposed to be a pretty tough guy and this is the first time I’ve had goose bumps for the last two days.”
Fred asked Senator Pastore, “Can I share a song with you that I think is so important?”
The Senator obliged and Fred told the Senator the song came from a direct question a child had once asked him, “What do you do with the mad that you feel?”
Mister Rogers recited the lyrics to the song, “What do you do with the mad that you feel? When you feel so mad you could bite, when the whole wide world seems oh so wrong and nothing you do feels right. What do you do? Do you punch a bag? Do you pound some clay or some dough? Do you round up friends for a game of tag or see how fast you go? It’s great to be able to stop when you’ve planned a thing that’s wrong and be able to do something else instead and think this song. I can stop when I want to. Can stop when I wish. Can stop stop stop anytime. And what a good feeling to feel like this and know that the feeling is really mine. Know that there is something deep inside that helps us become what we can. For a girl can someday be a lady, and a boy can someday be a man.”
Senator Pastore had a look of amazement on his face, not believing that he was about to say, “I think it’s wonderful. I think it’s wonderful. Looks like you just earned the twenty million dollars.”
Start with your partner if you have one, then your family, then your friends and your neighborhood, and then one day your unique talents and personality can make a difference far beyond what you can imagine. Mister Rogers and his gift to children to teach them that their feelings are mentionable and manageable saved public television and so much more. Decide what you will do to make your mark and leave your signature on life. Leave it all on the table. Leave a lasting legacy.