My Essay on CNN Opinion: “What America Needs Now Is Mr. Rogers”

You’ve heard of the phrase “perfect storm” before, right?? It typically applies to adverse weather that results from a combination of negative factors, but I’d say the opposite is true in the case of my latest essay for CNN Opinion. In other words, the perfect confluence of factors just came together that just screamed “what America needs now is Mr. Rogers“: A favorite childhood memory, an upcoming biopic, an anniversary and, unfortunately, Trump…

When I heard that Tom Hanks was set to star in You Are My Friend, the upcoming biopic about the one and only Fred Rogers, I was immediately taken back to my childhood. One of my fondest memories is writing a fan letter to Mr. Rogers! He even wrote back and sent me a book about a boy in a wheelchair — talk about making children with disabilities feel seen and heard! I just knew I had to write about this, especially in light of a certain man threatening the future of public broadcasting (hint: he lives in the White House), and I couldn’t have been more excited to place the essay on CNN.

Here’s an excerpt of the piece, in which I try to bring many things together to paint the portrait of what a kind and gentle man Mr. Rogers was…

As a writer, I spend my days analyzing, making connections and exploring my feelings — all skills I learned from Mister Rogers all those years ago. Like Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood was then, writing has now become my window to the world, a way to make sense of things, and there’s such a freedom in that. A freedom despite my disability. There are no obstacles when I’m writing, no hurdles to jump over and nothing to hold me back. I’m not defined by anything, least of which, my disability.

The simple kindness of a stranger can last a lifetime. Thanks to Mister Rogers, I’m living proof of that. I’m reminded every day that one person does have the power to make the world a better place, and we owe it to the next generation to ensure they know that sort of kindness too.

You can read the full piece here and I’d love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to email me anytime at mellow1422@aol.com and let’s chat! And of course, feel free to share my essay on Facebook, Twitter or even your local refrigerator. If you share on Twitter, be sure to tag me @melissablake so we can connect! I can’t wait to hear from you! Love you all… xoxo