A Beautiful Day
Good Things can Still Happen in Tough Times
by D. Dixon and Luna Lovegood, April 10, 2020
Who is Mr. Rogers?
You may have heard of Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. You may not know that this was based on Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, a show from the 60s to the 80s enjoyed by many children. Mr. Rogers taught kindness, to yourself and others around you. He was a beacon of hope in dark times, and a familiar face on bright days. The show followed Mr. Rogers visiting people in his little neighborhood, or playing with his (puppet) friends in the Land of Make-Believe.
'Look for the Helpers'
“When Fred [Rogers] was a boy and scary things would happen to him, his mother used to tell him: ‘Freddy, look for the helpers.’ So he would have talked about the helpers,” says his wife, Joanne Rogers, 89, of Pittsburgh talking to the LA Times last week. Mr. Rogers always told children to look for the helpers in a bad situation, whether it be search-and-rescue teams in a building collapse, humanitarians helping in a war-torn country, or the healthcare workers and educators during a pandemic.
It is often too easy to be overwhelmed by fear and sorrow in times of great struggle, such as the ones we live in today. Instead, we should take Mr. Rogers' advice and look for the helpers in a crisis. Better yet, thank the helpers. Doctors and nurses are tirelessly working around the clock to keep us safe. Just remember, wherever there's coronavirus, there's a dedicated doctor.
How to Help
Those of you at home may be restless. A little stir-crazy. Some of you may be anxious to do something to help, instead of just watching everything burn.
The best thing you can do is stay home. Follow the Five guidelines laid out by the CDC (see the coronavirus comic on the Reedy Creek Times pages for more info). There are tons of places to donate, if you can. For example, YouTuber Jacksepticeye recently did a charity live stream. You can also donate through the World Health Organization's website: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/donate
There are also non- financial ways to help. The Red Cross is still begging for blood donations for the people that desperately need it. If you or someone you know is at least 16 and healthy, you're eligible to give blood to help people that need it the most. Here's their blood services website: https://www.redcrossblood.org/
And How to Help Yourself
It may seem that the only articles D. Dixon uploads to the Reedy Creek Times are about disasters...which is mostly true, unfortunately. However, you'll notice that in every disaster we cover, we include a way to help. We're looking for the helpers among our fellow students and readers.
So now, we're looking out for the helpers. You're probably scared, upset, and anxious. You probably want to go hang out with your friends. I know that I do. But we have to remember social distancing.
Well, what can you do? Stay home. Sleep (you know you need it). Eat snacks. Binge-watch everything you've been missing. Like Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, which is playing on this website: https://www.misterrogers.org/watch. Theatre companies such as Shakespeare's Globe and National Theatre are showing previously recorded plays on YouTube. You can also download Libby, which lets you download ebooks and audiobooks using your library card, if you have one. And of course you can always read these amazing articles at bit.ly/reedycreektimes.
You'll be surprised at what a beautiful day you can have...inside.
Sources
Images by Ellen Martin, sister of Mrs. Thrash, who is a huge Mister Rogers fan!