I literally lived in Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. As a Mormon missionary I lived in Latrobe, PA in a house just neighboring a house Fred Rogers had lived in growi

I literally lived in Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. As a Mormon missionary I lived in Latrobe, PA in a house just neighboring a house Fred Rogers had lived in growing up. Latrobe was a quaint town with the sort of mailman and library and cute little streets that I remembered from "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood". It was a well-ordered place in many ways (though obviously with its own intrigues and local politics---people are people.) But I could see that the show in many ways portrayed a not-that-idealized version of a real place. To those who call it "unrealistic" I say that there actually are lovely places and people in this world, and especially in the eyes of a compassionate and loving person like Fred Rogers we can make our communities and countries better and more beautiful. I was living in Latrobe at the time of Rogers' death. We attended a memorial service his Latrobe connections held in his honor, and the esteem he was held in there was substantial. The article is a good reminder of the power of a positive vision and of consistency and compassion to make islands of love in this divisive human existence. A very timely message indeed.