Puff, Fluff, and Stuff

[Image ID: a twitter thread of 31+ tweets spanning 10 images, dated 22nd May 2017.

Image 1: a tweet by Dr. Paul (@/DrPnygard) that reads On this day in 1967, a show featuring a kindly man in a cardigan & blue sneakers debute- [tweet cuts off]. Included is a photo of Mr Rogers, a white American man with bushy dark eyebrows and greying straight hair, looking over his shoulder while seated obscured by a colourful red object.

This tweet is replied to by Anthony Breznican (@/Breznican) who’s 31-tweets-long thread begins by saying 50 years … I have a story to tell about this man.

Image 2: A lot of people are sharing this quote after the heartbreak in Manchester. It’s also the 50th anniversary of Mr Roger’s Neighborhood. 1/

The tweet includes a black-and-white photo of Mr Rogers smiling to camera with the following quote added: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers.- You will always find people who are helping.’” -Mr Rogers

Fred Rogers was from Pittsburgh, my hometown, and my generation grew up loving this man, who taught us to be kind above all. 2/

Image 3: Fred Rogers was the real thing. That gentle soul? It was no act. 3/

As I got older, I lost touch with the show, which kept running through 2001. But in college, one day, I rediscovered it… 4/

I was having a hard time. The future seemed dark. I was struggling, lonely, dealing with a lot of broken pieces and not adjusting well. 5/

I went to Pitt and devoted everything I had to the school paper, hoping that would propel me into some kind of worthwhile future. 6/

Image 4: It was easy to feel hopeless. One span was especially bad. Walking out of the dorm, I heard familiar music: 🎶 Won’t you be my neighbor… 7/

The TV was playing in an empty common room. Mr Rogers was there, asking me what I do with the mad I feel. (l had lots to spare. still do) 8/

It feels silly to say - it felt silly then - but I stood mesmerized. His show felt like a cool hand on a hot head. I left feeling better. 9/

Days later, I get in the elevator at the paper to ride down to the lobby. The doors open. Mr Rogers is standing there. For real. 10/

Image 5: I can’t believe it. I get in and he nods at me. I do back. I think he could sense a geek-out coming. But I kept it together. 11/

Almost. 12/

The doors open, he lets me go out first. I go, but turn around. “Mr Rogers… I don’t mean to bother you. But I wanted to say thanks! 13/

He smiles, but this has to happen to him every 10 feet. ‘Did you grow up as one of my neighbors? I felt like crying. Yeah. I was. 14/

Image 6: Opens his arms, lifting his satchel for a hug. “It’s good to see you again neighbor: I got to hug Mr Rogers, y'all! 15/

I pull it together. We’re walking out and I mention liking Johnny Costa (he was the piano player on the show.) We made more small talk. 16/

As he went out the door, I said (in a kind of rambling gush) that I’d stumbled on the show again recently, when I really needed it. 17/

So I just said, “Thanks for that.” Mr Rogers nodded. He paused. He undid his scarf. He motioned to the window, & sat down on the ledge. 18/

Image 7: This is what set Mr Rogers apart. No one else would’ve done this. He goes, “Do you want to tell me what was upsetting you? 19/

So I sat. I told him my grandfather had just died He was one of the few good things I had. I felt adrift. Brokenhearted. 20/

I like to think I didn’t go on and on, but pretty soon he was telling me about his grandfather & a boat the old man bought him as a kid. 21/

Mr Rogers asked how long ago Pap had died. It was a couple months. His grandfather was obviously gone decades. 22/

Image 8: He still wished the old man was here. Wished he still had the boat. You’ll never stop missing the people you love, Mr Rogers said. 23/

The grandfather gave Mr Rogers the row boat as reward for something. I forget what. Grades, or graduation. Something important. 24/

He didn’t have either now, but he had that work ethic, that knowledge that the old man encouraged with his gift. 25/

“Those things never go away,” Mr. Rogers said. I’m sure my eyes looked like stewed tomatoes. 26/

Image 9: Finally, I said thank you. And apologized if I made him late for an appointment. “Sometimes you’re right where you need to be,” he said. 27/

Mr Rogers was there for me then. So here’s this story, on the 50th anniversary of his show, for anyone who needs him now 28/

I never saw him again. But that “helper” quote? That’s authentic. That is who he was. For real. 29/

Image 10: When Mr. Rogers died in 2003, I sat at my computer with tears in my eyes. But I wasn’t crying over the death of a celebrity 30/

I was mourning the loss of a neighbor. 31/end

I remember hearing that, as a little kid, and not being able to believe it. And he kept saying it anyway.

Decades later, after much of my own therapy to undo the learning that led to a pre-school kid not believing that she was lovable just the way she was, I was watching an episode. I don’t remember what prompted me to seek it out, but I do remember bursting into tears when I heard that again.

Because it felt a little easier to believe. And because I realized, as an adult, how important it was to hear that as a kid. Repeatedly. Even if I couldn’t believe it. As a kid, I couldn’t trust that he meant it. As an adult, it was so clear that he did. And I was so grateful that he had planned those seeds. They took awhile to germinate, and still need constant tending. And I’m so grateful that was modeled somewhere for me.

Not enough people are talking about this: i need this

“is this fruit gummy?”

“-nah, I mean. maybe? maybe if it was clean? it’s not doing it for me.”

“alright I think I’m getting it now.”

the human nods, and points at a bundle of wires, “that’s forbidden lunch though right”

the alien, gravely, “there’s enough voltage in those wires to absolutely kill me and I want to lick it so badly.”

nods. “Forbidden lunch.”

A third coworker who is neither of the first two’s species, “I hate both of you and I hate that you have to have this conversation in the generator.”

pause. “Cranky you can’t eat the uranium rods aren’t you”

—don’t work for startups, they’re always one ‘innovative idea’ away adding ‘sell your kidneys on the black market’ to your job description.

—keeping a collection of basic OTC medicine on you will save your life one day. I recommend Advil, Imodium, and TUMS.

—those little single-use glasses cleaning wipes are 1000% worth the money

—overly self-depreciating jokes just make people uncomfortable, wean yourself off of them

—you can buy dehydrated mini marshmallows in bulk online and they’re a godsend for hot cocoa

—people don’t care if you have fidget toys on your desk they just want to play with them

keep on not working for startups

sometimes there comes a point where the thing (fandom, hobby, friendship, romantic relationship) you loved no longer brings you joy. And that's okay. Try to mourn the loss, take joy in the memories, and don't burn any bridges in case ten years go by and you find yourself back in that fandom/hobby/relationship again

it turns out that (ugh) moderate regular exercise is (spit) good for you. The sooner you make it part of your life, the easier it'll be

related: if you throw yourself into a new exercise regime too hard and too fast, without stopping to rest or consider whether a particular move is good for you ... well, shoulder injuries are painful and consults with orthopedic surgeons are expensive

knees are bastards too

don't even get me started on ankles

there may come a time when your digestive system is too fragile for ibuprofin. I'm sorry

one day you're gonna wake up and realise you no longer give any fucks about some things that used to bother you

on the other hand, you might be alarmed to realise what you still give a fuck about