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Woody Woodburn

400 Roosevelt Court

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Beautiful Day in a Neighborhood

Writing a letter to a famous television personality and expecting a reply is not dissimilar from putting a message in a bottle and throwing it into the sea.

Yet that is what a young boy in a Ventura neighborhood did, with the help of his mother, eighteen years past. Composed by Franklin, typed by his mom and printed in Arial font, the letter read:

“December 13, 2000

“Dear Mr. Rogers,

“My name is Franklin and I am 3 and a half years old. My mommy is computing this for me. I’d like to have a book about how to do things. You know how everything works, so maybe you know this book? I wish you could put all of your ‘how’ movies together and send it to me.

“I want to know how you make plastic and how plastic gets squished into shape like a cowboy hat. Mommy says plastic starts with oil, but how does black stuff become a shiny hat? Mommy told me how to make people and deer but how do you make glass and windows? I want to know how they make this keyboard. I also want to know how to read letters.

“Can you please help me?

“I love you,

“Franklin Hansen”

Beneath Franklin’s carefully printed signature was a typed postscript:

“A note from Mom: Thank you for so many wonderful years of ‘Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood’ and for your essays in ‘Ladybug’ magazine. I am learning as much about ‘how’ now as when I was a child and I am so grateful that my children can relax with you and learn how to be better people: nicer, kinder, and more open-minded. I am still learning from you and my son’s curiosity is a wonderful excuse to say thank-you. I am sad about your retirement but as long as PBS keeps airing your shows (how do I ensure this?) my kids will continue to grow with your wisdom.

“Sincerely,

“Cindy Hansen”

All these years later, Cindy retells: “We were watching one of the shows and Franklin absolutely adored those factory segments. So after one of the shows we were talking about them and all of the things he wanted to know. He wanted to ask/wish why Mister Rogers didn’t have a show that was just those factory visits.”

The magnificent mother of two sons adds: “I was very glad that my boys enjoyed him as much as I had when I was younger. When we went to the Pittsburgh Children’s Museum (around 2010), we were so excited to see the set with Trolley moving through the Neighborhood. As we drove through town the boys kept saying, ‘He filmed it here Mom!’ Of course, this was his Neighborhood.”

Launched in 1968, the beloved “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” television show aired original episodes until 2001 – two years before the host’s death at age 74. Marking the iconic educational show’s 50th anniversary, a new film “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” is the highest grossing documentary of 2018. Moreover, Tom Hanks will star in another movie about the late Fred Rogers, “You Are My Friend,” to be released next year.

Back in 2000, back when Franklin was “3 and a half” and wrote a letter filled with questions, Mister Rogers was a big deal and surely too busy to personally answer it.

And yet in early January of 2001, it was a beautiful day in a Ventura neighborhood because a letter arrived from Mister Roger’s Neighborhood. The envelope was addressed to Cindy Hansen, but inside was a letter written to her son.

Next week, we will see Mister Rogers’ remarkable reply.

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Woody Woodburn writes a weekly column for The Ventura County Star and can be contacted at WoodyWriter@gmail.com.

Check out my memoir WOODEN & ME: Life Lessons from My Two-Decade Friendship with the Legendary Coach and Humanitarian to Help “Make Each Day Your Masterpiece” and my essay collection “Strawberries in Wintertime: Essays on Life, Love, and Laughter” …

• Personalized signed copies are available at WoodyWoodburn.com
• Unsigned paperbacks or Kindle ebook can be purchased here at Amazon