Posts Tagged ‘Mister Rogers & Me’
Nantucket, Massachusetts (Winter 2008)
Truckin’
Ask anyone. I’m not a huge fan of The Grateful Dead. At the moment, though — traveling seventy miles-per-hour on the Pennsylvania Turnpike some 37 miles west of Harrisburg — “Truckin’” is kinda’ doin’ it for me. Earlier, I remarked to my brother — who is a huge Deadhead, so huge that the only CDs…
Read MoreBlack & Gold
My brother is a quote machine. “I haven’t had a three dollar beers since college!” After last night’s $6 room service Iron City bottles, I understand and appreciate his enthusiasm. We’re at Doubleday’s on Sixth Street in downtown Pittsburgh, our third bar of the night. Every one of ’em have been absolutely throbbing with Steeler…
Read MoreThe Optimism Of The Will
“My name is Benjamin Wagner,” I said, firmly shaking Bill Moyers’ hand. “I am the young man with the fire in his belly who has been doggedly pursuing you for my deep and simple documentary about my relationship with Mister Rogers.” “Oh yes,” he said, looking up from under his glasses. “Oh yes.” * *…
Read MoreThe Blessings
Chris and I were standing outside of NPR’s Studio 3A listening to South-African singer-songwriter Vusi Mahlasela perform on “Talk of the Nation.” Moments prior, we had interviewed the incomparable Susan Stamberg, and hours before that, “Meet The Press” host, Tim Russert. As Vusi, to whom we had just been introduced by our gracious NPR hostess…
Read MoreCome Together
My mother met Mister Rogers on the beach behind her rental cottage. She was sitting in an old beach chair reading. Mister Rogers was taking his afternoon swim in Madaket Bay. The year after he died, I decided to preserve his memory (and entice my brother to bring his family to Nantucket the following summer)…
Read MoreGardening At Night
I’m out to dinner with my mom. She’s been a Istanbul for the last three weeks, so there’s a fair amount of catching up to do. A lot has happened, but mostly, I wanted to tell her about progress on my Mr. Rogers documentary. Mrs. Rogers gave me her blessing for the project two years…
Read MoreThings Behind The Sun
This has not been my favorite year. I’ve had some major lows, and a dearth of real highs. But I was digging through The Daily Journal in an attempt to assemble a Top Ten Moments of 2004, when I made a fairly major discovery. It’s not the big moments that change your life. It’s the…
Read MoreProfit & Loss
This morning I ran a coupla’ miles to the start of the Gridiron Classic with my brother and Jennifer, then ran the 5k race with Jonathan and Fran, then — my celly blowin’ up with multiple calls from my boss — ran some seventy blocks home. A small change had to be made to MTVNews.com,…
Read MoreFirst Annual Mister Rogers Madaket Triathlon
The inaugural staging of the Mister Rogers Madaket Triathlon went off without a hitch today. I finished with a new course record — heck, the only recorded course time, ever — of 1:26:19. It was a blustery 60 degrees, windy and full-on rainy when I sprinted down the dunes and into the bay. I’ve never…
Read More