Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Mental Health Break



This YouTube clip was borrowed from Andrew Sullivan's The Dish blog.  Mr. Sullivan blogs about current events many times a day and occasionally tosses in something fun or thought provoking as a reminder about life outside of the Washington bubble.

This morning, Sullivan posted this clip from Fred Rogers accepting a Lifetime Achievement Emmy award in 1997 together with the following comment from a reader:
I can't help but pass on Fred Rogers' extraordinary acceptance speech receiving a lifetime achievement Emmy Award in 1997.  Notice the momentary tittering in the audience when Mr. Rogers says he'll watch the time, while they all observe ten seconds of silence.  The tittering very quickly disappears, and a profound sense of contemplation fills the room.  In his quiet, gentle manner, he commands everyone's attention, and directs it AWAY from himself; directs it inwardly and compels each person there to actually reflect on a meaningful aspect of their lives.  I can't quite describe how magical and moving this is to me. It was a gift he blessed with, applicable to both children and adults, and he applied it, tirelessly, throughout his entire career. Enjoy the clip, if you haven't seen it already.
 Pretty much sums up why we love Fred Rogers as we do.

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