Remembering Fred Rogers: You Can Grow Ideas

Yesterday would have been Mr. Rogers' 86th birthday. I didn't know much about Mr. Rogers growing up except that it was one of my favorite shows on PBS. I love the music video remix above that captures just a few ways Mr. Rogers helped unleash generations of creativity as he encouraged young people to use their imagination to grow ideas in the garden of their mind.

I love seeing some of the old props from the show when I have a little extra time in the Pittsburgh Airport. And I love learning more about Mr. Rogers himself. For example, I did not know when I was  little that he was a Presbyterian minister and that he went to Pittsburgh Theological Seminary while he was helping to build the nations first community sponsored educational television station, WQED in Pittsburgh. Living within the broadcast reach of WQED, I have to say I really love the programming they offer that highlights some of the great venues, neighborhoods, and history of Pittsburgh and the region. 

I learned yesterday through an article on Huffington Post that Mr. Rogers' cardigans were hand-made by his mother, that she made sweaters for many, and that this was a one of the ways she showed her love. What an amazing testimony, and what an incredible family. I felt an echo of my own mom's generosity as I read that story. She used to make baby blankets for friends, neighbors, and relatives, and she made quilts that me, my brother, and sister still treasure to this day.

May we each take time to unleash our imagination, and grow ideas that can change the world. And may we each be instruments of compassion and good neighbors to those who God places on our path in this life. And may we aspire to leave a legacy for future generations as Mr. Rogers did for so many of us. 

I Saw The President!

Ok, well I saw his limo drive by. Yesterday around 2PM as I was attempting to take my brother to the airport in Pittsburgh, traffic was halted altogether. Curious as to why traffic was at a dead stop, I pulled into a parking lot overlooking the highway I needed to drive on to get to the airport. People were standing and looking at the road. I asked what was happening, and they said, "President Obama's motorcade is coming through!" Just as they uttered that statement, I saw motorcycles coming down the road. I quickly pulled out my iphone and snapped the photo above with the presidential limo heading to the airport.

President Obama was visiting Pittsburgh because next weekend (Sept 24-25), Pittsburgh will host the G20 Summit. "What's the G20 Summit?" Glad you asked. Here's a link that explains a bit about the G20. Essentially these are the leaders of the 20 most populated and financially powerful nations in the world. They essentially come together to talk about ways to better manage and influence the global economy. Here's a wikipedia article that tells more about who these leaders are and why they are meeting.

The Pittsburgh area is really excited for the event. If you live near Pittsburgh, I think some of the major roads will have limited traffic as the event gets under way. For me, it's pretty exciting to think that a group of twenty world leaders will be meeting just a little over an hour from my house. Of course, as you can imagine, the G20 event will draw in a variety of protestors and participants. I'm sure there will be some great news coverage in the days ahead as well. Personally I'm looking forward to seeing what comes of these meetings.

In the meantime, I'm glad traffic got back to normal quickly after the President drove by, and my brother was able to make his flight back to Orange County.

Pittsburgh at night

Pittsburgh at night, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Again, it seems hard to imagine that 200 years ago we lived in a world lit by fire and not by electricity. It seems hard to imagine that these buildings weren't always here. It seems hard to imagine that there isn't some degree of permanence in this image of the Pittsburgh Skyline.

This city and this view are amazing to check out. It is amazing that the people of mount washington let people come and go all through the night to enjoy this amazing view. Pittsburgh sits down in the valley where the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers join to form the source of the Ohio River. I live just a couple hundred miles downstream. Once people floated the river in canoes--now we fly or drive everywhere.

How quickly the times change. Have you ever imagined yourself without the ability to travel so far so quickly? What would happen if your daily commute to work was on foot, by boat, or on horseback? Less than a hundred years ago it probably would have been.

That seems unimaginable to me. I wonder in what other ways our imagination has been stifled and enlivened by the convenience and technology we enjoy. Something to think about as you read this blog and enjoy this picture on your computer. . .

Pittsburgh jamie and ryan

Pittsburgh jamie and ryan, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Just a quick pic of my friend ryan and his best friend jamie. Jamie lives a five minute walk from this view, so it isn't as big of a deal for him as it is for me.

What views and places do you take for granted because they are so close?

Pittsburgh and the Monongahela

Pittsburgh and the Monongahela, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

I've been thinking a lot about my heritage lately. I've also been thinking about history. Pittsburgh was one of those centers in which Indians and Europeans would gather for trade and treaty. it's hard to believe that after a couple hundred years the city has developed so much.

The monongahela river runs from morgantown to pittsburgh. I can't help but reflect on all that the banks of that river have seen. All of the families playing. All of the businesses being built on the water. All of the people making the journey down the river to pittsburgh to trade or to find a place to make it.

And I took this picture standing on Mount Washington. I wonder what it felt like to come to this mountain ridge, look down upon the town making its humble beginnings here, and thinking about the past.

As I look down on it, I can't help but think about the trees that once stood in place of the skyscrapers, and how the people of the past probably saw those trees as being semi-permanent, the same way we view the skyscrapers.

At least the river still flows . . .