MRS. ROGER'S NEIGHBORHOOD

Where would Mr. Roger's Neighborhood be found? If you looked on the map, I believe you would find it on Pioneer Avenue in Historic Sandy. I was raised on Pioneer Avenue. It was a charming little street that had a dead end at the top. Not much traffic, except for those who lived there, and the school and grocery store were through the block. It was a great place to be raised. Not much going on. I guess you could say that grasshoppers and night crawlers were the biggest distraction in our little neighborhood. Crickets, June bugs, caterpillars, and butterflies--these were all a part of the comings and goings in our neck of the woods.

I recently attended a conference where Mr. Roger's Neighborhood was the main theme. I guess his neighborhood is the ultimate of all neighborhoods. It was one where everyone cared about each other, looked out for each other, and served each other. It was one where living next door really counts. It gave one special privileges and often paved the way for love and nurturing that sometimes is not felt at home. One man said, ''If you only understood how important you are to those around you, to the little people, you would take extra care to cherish and nurture them.”

Another gentlemen who spoke said that he had been searching for that one big thing in his life to make him feel like he was really doing something good. He discovered that for him that big thing was to serve the little people around him.

I feel so blessed to have been raised in my own little version of Mr. Roger's Neighborhood.