After Manchester, This Amazing ‘Mister Rogers’ Story May Be More Important Than Ever
One man shares his story of a chance encounter with his childhood icon—and the incredible lesson he took away.
GETTY / Getty
Monday night, a horrible explosion went off at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, taking the lives of 22, including children, and injuring at least 60.
In this time of tragedy, a newly-surfaced personal anecdote about Fred Rogers, of Mister Roger’s Neighborhood fame, may be needed now more than ever.
Shortly after news of the terror attack reached the States, a famous quote from beloved childhood icon Mr. Rogers began circling the Internet.
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news,” Rogers once said, “my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’”
These words caught the eye of Entertainment Weekly staff writer Anthony Breznican.
Get the best of The Beast delivered right to your inbox
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Inspired, Breznican shared his own memory to Twitter of meeting the man himself.
He tweeted: “50 years [since Mister Rogers Neighborhood premiered]… I have a story to tell about this man.”
And he sure did.
“Fred Rogers was from Pittsburgh, my hometown, and my generation grew up loving this man, who taught us to be kind above all,” Breznican continued in a series of tweets. “Fred Rogers was the real thing. That gentle soul? It was no act.”
Breznican talks about his troubled time in college and describes how reconnecting with old episodes of Mister Rogers “felt like a cool hand on a hot head.” Soon after, as fate would have it, he ran into Rogers in an elevator.
He seized the opportunity to speak to his icon: “Mr. Rogers… I don’t mean to bother you. But I wanted to say thanks.”
Rogers smiled and asked the question any fan would dream of hearing: “Did you grow up as one of my neighbors?”
Breznican began crying. Rogers then embraced him and said, “It’s good to see you again, neighbor.”
And if you thought this story couldn’t get any more heartwarming...
Breznican felt moved to tell Rogers how he had rediscovered his show after the death of his grandfather. Rogers listened and told him, “You'll never stop missing the people you love.”
At the end of their conversation, Breznican apologized, worried he’d made his icon late, to which Rogers responded, “Sometimes you’re right where you need to be.”
Here’s the entire moving story below.
Fred Rogers was from Pittsburgh, my hometown, and my generation grew up loving this man, who taught us to be kind above all. 2/
— Anthony Breznican (@Breznican) May 23, 2017
Fred Rogers was the real thing. That gentle soul? It was no act. 3/
— Anthony Breznican (@Breznican) May 23, 2017
As I got older, I lost touch with the show, which kept running through 2001. But in college, one day, I rediscovered it... 4/
— Anthony Breznican (@Breznican) May 23, 2017
I was having a hard time. The future seemed dark. I was struggling, lonely, dealing with a lot of broken pieces and not adjusting well. 5/
— Anthony Breznican (@Breznican) May 23, 2017
I went to Pitt and devoted everything I had to the school paper, hoping that would propel me into some kind of worthwhile future. 6/
— Anthony Breznican (@Breznican) May 23, 2017
It was easy to feel hopeless. One span was especially bad. Walking out of the dorm, I heard familiar music: 🎶Won't you be my neighbor... 7/
— Anthony Breznican (@Breznican) May 23, 2017
The TV was playing in an empty common room. Mr. Rogers as there, asking me what I do with the mad I feel. (I had lots to spare. still do) 8/
— Anthony Breznican (@Breznican) May 23, 2017
It feels silly to say - it felt silly then - but I stood mesmerized. His show felt like a cool hand on a hot head. I left feeling better. 9/
— Anthony Breznican (@Breznican) May 23, 2017
Days later, I get in the elevator at the paper to ride down to the lobby. The doors open. Mr. Rogers is standing there. For real. 10/
— Anthony Breznican (@Breznican) May 23, 2017
I can't believe it. I get in and he nods at me. I do back. I think he could sense a geek-out coming. But I kept it together. 11/
— Anthony Breznican (@Breznican) May 23, 2017
Almost. 12/
— Anthony Breznican (@Breznican) May 23, 2017
The doors open, he lets me go out first. I go, but turn around. "Mr. Rogers... I don't mean to bother you. But I wanted to say thanks." 13/
— Anthony Breznican (@Breznican) May 23, 2017
He smiles, but this has to happen to him every 10 feet. "Did you grow up as one of my neighbors?" I felt like crying. Yeah. I was. 14/
— Anthony Breznican (@Breznican) May 23, 2017
Opens his arms, lifting his satchel for a hug. "It's good to see you again neighbor." I got to hug Mr. Rogers, y'all! 15/
— Anthony Breznican (@Breznican) May 23, 2017
I pull it together. We're walking out and I mention liking Johnny Costa (he was the piano player on the show.) We made more small talk. 16/
— Anthony Breznican (@Breznican) May 23, 2017
As he went out the door, I said (in a kind of rambling gush) that I'd stumbled on the show again recently, when I really needed it. 17/
— Anthony Breznican (@Breznican) May 23, 2017
So I just said, "Thanks for that." Mr. Rogers nodded. He paused. He undid his scarf. He motioned to the window, & sat down on the ledge. 18/
— Anthony Breznican (@Breznican) May 23, 2017
This is what set Mr. Rogers apart. No one else would've done this. He goes, "Do you want to tell me what was upsetting you?" 19/
— Anthony Breznican (@Breznican) May 23, 2017
So I sat. I told him my grandfather had just died. He was one of the few good things I had. I felt adrift. Brokenhearted. 20/
— Anthony Breznican (@Breznican) May 23, 2017
I like to think I didn't go on and on, but pretty soon he was telling me about his grandfather & a boat the old man bought him as a kid. 21/
— Anthony Breznican (@Breznican) May 23, 2017
Mr. Rogers asked how long ago Pap had died. It was a couple months. His grandfather was obviously gone decades. 22/
— Anthony Breznican (@Breznican) May 23, 2017
He still wished the old man was here. Wished he still had the boat. You'll never stop missing the people you love, Mr. Rogers said. 23/
— Anthony Breznican (@Breznican) May 23, 2017
The grandfather gave Mr. Rogers the row boat as reward for something. I forget what. Grades, or graduation. Something important. 24/
— Anthony Breznican (@Breznican) May 23, 2017
He didn't have either now, but he had that work ethic, that knowledge that the old man encouraged with his gift. 25/
— Anthony Breznican (@Breznican) May 23, 2017
"Those things never go away," Mr. Rogers said. I'm sure my eyes looked like stewed tomatoes. 26/
— Anthony Breznican (@Breznican) May 23, 2017
Finally, I said thank you. And apologized if I made him late for an appointment. "Sometimes you're right where you need to be," he said. 27/
— Anthony Breznican (@Breznican) May 23, 2017
Mr. Rogers was there for me then. So here's this story, on the 50th anniversary of his show, for anyone who needs him now. 28/
— Anthony Breznican (@Breznican) May 23, 2017
I never saw him again. But that "helper" quote? That's authentic. That's who he was. For real. 29/ pic.twitter.com/VQ6vt6Lr3c
— Anthony Breznican (@Breznican) May 23, 2017
When Mr. Rogers died in 2003, I sat at my computer with tears in my eyes. But I wasn't crying over the death of a celebrity. 30/
— Anthony Breznican (@Breznican) May 23, 2017
I was mourning the loss of a neighbor.
— Anthony Breznican (@Breznican) May 23, 2017
31/end
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.