I

SLOW DOWN, THINK DEEPLY

With my sighted eye I see what’s before me, and with

my unsighted eye I see what’s hidden.

—ALICE WALKER

n the intro sequence of the beloved children’s show Mister Rogers’
Neighborhood, the first interior shot does not show the host.
Instead, in the beat before Fred Rogers appears on the screen singing
his cheerful song about being a good neighbor, viewers see a traffic
light, blinking yellow.
For more than thirty years and for nearly a thousand episodes,
this subtle piece of symbolism opened the show. If as a hint, it went
over the heads of most people watching, viewers were still primed to
get the message. Because whether Fred Rogers was speaking on
camera, playing in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe with King
Friday the Puppet, or singing one of his trademark songs, just about
every frame of the show seemed to say: Slow down. Be considerate.
Be aware.
As a child at Latrobe Elementary School in Pennsylvania, Fred
Rogers had been a victim of vicious bullying. Kids picked on him
because of his weight and because he was sensitive about it. It was a
horrible experience, but this pain spurred his groundbreaking work
in public television. “I began a lifelong search for what is essential,”
he said about his childhood, “what it is about my neighbor that
doesn’t meet the eye.” He even framed a print of that idea on the wall