Mr. Rogers died today. Explaining him to people who have never seen him is problematic. He was nothing less than a childhood institution in the U.S. Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood was on PBS for over thirty years, including my entire childhood. Danielle saw a replay of the show once and told me it was one of the freakiest things she ever saw. Sure, the show had all of the earmarks of freakiness: a grown man changing clothes before you, rampant puppetry, odd accents.... he *was* a bit like a cult leader, but only for acceptance and decency. Years after I left the show's target range (from diapers to six, or so), I would turn on Mr. Rogers when I felt a little down. Always cheered me up. Thank you, Mr. Rogers.

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