I love TED talks, and Mr Stanton (and thank you Mr Stanton for all of your Pixar work) had me when he referenced a favorite quote of Mr. Rogers.
I watch, and enjoy, too much children's television. I can do without the bad language, the ambiguous morals, the shady characters, plus I love a happy ending. Mr. Roger's Neighborhood is the one show I wish would come back. I realize it belongs to a bygone era--his show was too slowly paced to jive with the modern audience. He was so intentional and would not rush and risk losing his core message: You are special and loved just the way you are. Those words rank highly in my life creeds.
Mr Rogers the TV personality and Mr Rogers the man are really the same person in his biography. There was not separation between public and private activities in his life mission: he was genuine and authentic wherever he was. He was a man of faith but he did not need a special platform to exercise his faith: he lived out his convictions singing songs, doing puppet shows, and changing his shoes with a conviction to help children grow up as richly as they could.
He was a storyteller, but his stories did not just entertain for a few moments and then fade to oblivion. He left a legacy, and I aim to leave a legacy with just as much conviction as he had, no matter what sort of work I find myself in. I want to tell the world great stories that give them hope and remind them, as I tell my own children every day, that they are special and they are loved just the way they are.
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