Reminder from a Pittsburgher who was at one point Mr. Rogers neighbor:
“Look for the helpers” was intended to be advice for his usual audience, children. We’re grown ups now. We’re supposed to be the helpers.
It's still valid advice, for the adultiest adults. Every day things happen we cannot stop or cannot help with and it's easy to let that wear you down to the point of nihilism. Reminding yourself that there are people who want to help, helps. And also see if you can support the other things.
Part of maturity is knowing that sometimes you're the helper, sometimes you need a helper, and sometimes you can help the helpers. Sometimes all three at the same time.
I believe he meant this to be self aspirational. One should always look to the helpers and be inspired to be one.
Maybe that’s what you meant, but it’s okay to need help and use that experience as a springboard to become a helper.
Gen Xer here - we tried like really really really hard! but we were hated out the gate, starting with our boomer parents who we only saw when it was time to punish us
I'm excited about Z - we're their parents and (generally), aren't using the courts or kicking them out and calling it parenting
I’m a Xillennial (1980) and I’ve been thinking a lot how Gen X was the “Cry it Out” generation. Any expert will tell you there is nothing more important for babies than comfort and contact, and our parents decided that was the perfect time to let us scream our heads off lest we get “spoiled.” 🤷♀️
Point taken. Some grownups are more helpful than others. Even in the toughest times, helpful people can still join together and and help even more people in community with each other. #EveryoneIsMyNeighbor
