"Whether we're a preschooler or a young teen, a graduating college student or a retired person, we human beings all want to know that we're acceptable, that our being alive somehow makes a difference in the lives of others" .

Opening weekend, my boyfriend and I headed to a small, indie theater to catch the premiere of the newest documentary, "Won't You Be My Neighbor", showcasing the life of the brilliant Fred Rogers, most famously known as Mister Rogers from the PBS television series, "Mister Roger's Neighborhood". Growing up to Disney and Cartoon Network (I was practically raised on Courage the Cowardly Dog and That's So Raven), I was expecting to be kinda bored watching a documentary of some old white dude I never heard of that talked to a bunch of kids.

But boy, did I turn out to be wrong.

After watching this film, I became panicked. No, not because we downed an entire bucked of popcorn in one sitting, but because we lost a man who influenced the media in such a way that not having him anymore actually is hurting the world. I realized that we don't have someone to teach us the hardships that we face in every day life, even to me, as a college student. And that really scared me.

For those of you who are like me and lived on Disney, Nick Jr., and Cartoon Network, Mister Rogers was an American TV personal for kids, who touched on universal sensitive subjects that children need to hear. Going to the neighborhood of Make-Believe and casting his voice through the use of hand puppets (Daniel Tiger is the GOAT), children were able to freely talk about difficult subjects, such as divorce, low self-esteem, and even political events happening within the world. Because of him, children were able to grasp and understand these subjects with a smile on their face.

Because of him you can see past the zip-up cardigans and big smile, a man who devoted his life to help others.

There is a quote by him that really spoke to me, and he says,

"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping'".

Mister Rogers was one of those helpers, and I aspire to do the same.

Today, children watch violent TV shows, or are obsessed with social media and video games, that they don't spend their life seeing or understanding the bigger picture. Even the young adults today are so media obsessed that we don't pay attention to what's around us, or even educate ourselves on what's going on in the world, allowing us to not be politically correct. We need to follow the advice of Mister Rogers, and be what the younger generation needs: a helper.

Watching this documentary gave me the feeling that there is hope, as long as we roll up our sleeves, and make the change in the world that we want to see. We all want to change and impact the world in some way, so we start with putting others before ourselves, just as Mister Rogers did, and speaking the truth of the horrors surrounding the world. Once you start helping, you'll start to feel accomplished, as Mister Rogers said himself,

"I hope you're proud of yourself for the times you said 'yes', when all it meant was extra work for you and was seemingly helpful only to someone else".

Mister Rogers was the best neighbor America could ask for, and an obvious grandfather to all of us.

He taught us that each of us are special, despite the physical qualities each of us obtain. His lessons hold meaning, allowing us even now to reflect, and give reassurance that everything will play out in the end, as long as we are kind and helpful to others. Coming into this, I didn't expect to be so moved- I didn't even think I'd enjoy the documentary. Coming out of this made me realize I can do more for the world, and that I need to be the neighbor that Mister Rogers would be proud of.

So, let me ask you all this: Won't you be my neighbor?