It’s A Beautiful Day In The Neighbourhood
For those who know me best, they would say that I do not often indulge myself with thinking of my childhood. I believe myself to be a forward thinking person and what happens today and tomorrow is what truly matters in life. However, as I was preparing to write this post today, I did a little Facebook snoop and came across something of my youth which I think is relevant to child development and by default adult development.
When I was a child there was a programme on public television called Mr Roger’s Neighbourhood. I do not think it ever was shown here, but in this show children were encouraged to share their feelings and to see that feelings were not bad and could and should be talked about it. Rogers did the whole show, the hosting the puppets and he wrote the songs. I think that with all that is happening in the world today, that the message of this show is more relevant than ever. I would like to conclude this post with the lyrics to one of Mr Rogers songs
“What do you do with the mad that you feel
When you feel so mad you could bite?
When the whole wide world seems oh, so wrong…
And nothing you do seems very right?
What do you do? Do you punch a bag?
Do you pound some clay or some dough?
Do you round up friends for a game of tag?
Or see how fast you go?
It’s great to be able to stop
When you’ve planned a thing that’s wrong,
And be able to do something else instead
And think this song:
I can stop when I want to
Can stop when I wish
I can stop, stop, stop any time.
And what a good feeling to feel like this
And know that the feeling is really mine.
Know that there’s something deep inside
That helps us become what we can.
For a girl can be someday a woman
And a boy can be someday a man.”
Make today a special one for you.
