Fred Rogers’ commencement address at Marquette University

ladies and gentlemen I present mr. Fred McFeely Rogers founder and creator of mr. Rogers neighborhood who will deliver the commencement address [Applause] [Music] I must say it's a beautiful day in your neighborhood just wonderful I am so proud of you you know for a long time I wondered why I felt like bowing when people showed their appreciation for the work that I've been privileged to do for so long what I've come to understand is that we who bow are probably whether we know it or not acknowledging the presence of the eternal we're bowing to the eternal in our neighbor you see I believe that appreciation is a holy thing that when we look for what's best in the person we happen to be with at the moment we're doing what God does so in loving and appreciating our neighbor we're participating in something truly sacred thank you all for your warm welcome some of you I've known for just a little while some I've known through correspondence and through television for many years I'm mindful of the variety of feelings the variety of blessings which you bring to this moment and I'm exceedingly grateful to be with you early in the morning of every work day before I get to my office I see someone who influences me greatly this person has a job which many people might consider unglamorous and tediously mundane he's the locker room attendant in Pittsburgh where I swim each day his name is Jeff we recently celebrated Jeff's 25th anniversary at the pool 25 years cleaning sinks and sorting towels and caring about everybody for his anniversary some of us regulars got together and got him a cake and a book about New York Jeff loves New York he goes whenever he can and he says Hong Kong when he talks about it and he loves to watch The Today Show and see all of the people at Rockefeller Plaza well a few weeks ago I told Jeff that I was writing this commencement speech for you all and I said to him Jeff what should I say in this speech and he answered tell them to be glad of who they are they might get to be President or a teacher or a doctor or just themselves whoever they are everybody can do something and he went right back to scrubbing the showers blessed are the pure in heart to appreciate our life and do what we can so that others might appreciate theirs few years ago I was asked to be part of a White House meeting about children and television many broadcasters from all over the country were there since I was supposed to be one of the speakers I was seated beside mrs. Clinton who afterwards said congratulations mr. Rogers and was whisk away to her next meeting but as I was leaving that enormous room I heard something from one of the military guards who was all dressed up in white and gold looking like a statue I heard him whisper thanks mr. Rogers so I went over to him noticed that his eyes were moist and I said thanks for what well sir he said as I was listening to you today I started to remember my grandfather's brother I haven't thought about him in years he died when I was only seven years old but just before that he gave me his favorite fishing rod I've just been thinking maybe that's why I love fishing so much and love to show it to all of my neighbors well as far as I'm concerned the major reason for my going to Washington that day was that military guard and nourishing the memory of his great uncle what marvelous mysteries were privileged to be part of why would that young man be assigned to guard that particular room on that particular day it's slender threads like that that weave this complex fabric of our life together I wonder if you've heard what happened at the Seattle Olympics a few years ago for the hundred-yard - there were nine contestants all of them so-called physically or mentally disabled all nine of them assembled at the starting line and at the sound of the gun they took off but one little boy stumbled and fell and hurt his knee and began to cry the other eight children heard the boy crying they slowed down turned around saw the boy and ran back to him every one of them ran back to him one little girl with Down syndrome bent down and kissed the boy and said this'll make it better the little boy got up and he and the rest of the runners linked their arms together and walked to the finish line they all finished the race at the same time and when they did everyone in the stadium stood up and clapped and whistled and cheered for a long long time and of course you know why because deep down we know that what matters in this life is much more than winning for ourselves what really matters is helping others win - even if it means slowing down and changing our pace now and then there's a part of all of us that longs to know that even what's weakest about us can ultimately count for something good when I graduated from college I had little notion of how I'd ever be able to put together all the interests that I had it took me a good deal of time and my parents probably wondered if I'd ever be able to make anything of it all but after a lot of help from a lot of people I'll never forget the sense of wholeness I felt when I finally realized what in fact I really was not just a songwriter or a language buff or a student of human development or a telecommunicator but I was someone who was able to use every talent that I had been given in the service of children and their families I can tell you that it was that particular focus that made all the difference I can also tell you that none of that was written on the back of my college diploma it's a miracle when we finally discover whom we're best equipped to serve when we can best appreciate the unique life that we've been given one day I was privileged to sit in on one of yo-yo Ma's master cello classes now yo-yo is one of the great appreciators of this world it seems that people always walk taller after they've had time with him the only thing that's larger than his talent is his heart at any rate during that masterclass one young man was struggling with the tone of a certain cello passage he played it over and over and yoyo listened with obvious interest finally yo-yo said you know nobody else can make the sound you make that young man looked at yo-yo ma and beamed what a gifted those words were not only to that young cellist but to everyone else who was there nobody else can make the sound you make well nobody else can live the life you live and even though no human being is perfect we always have the chance to bring what's unique about us to live in a redeeming way beside my chair in my office is a framed piece of calligraphy with a sentence from sant exuberance book the little prince it reads less hacia that rvz brulees you're what is essential is invisible to the eye I feel the closer we get to knowing and living the truth of that sentence the closer we get to wisdom what is essential about you that is invisible to the eye and who are those who have helped you become who you are today anyone who has ever graduated from a university anyone who has ever been able to sustain a good work has had at least one person and often many who believed in him or her we just don't get to be competent human beings with that many different investments from others I'd like to give you all an invisible gift a gift of silence to think about those who nourish you at the deepest part of your being anyone who has ever loved you and wanted what was best for you in life some of those people may be right here today some may be far away some may even be in heaven but if they've encouraged you to come closer to what you know to be essential about life I'd like you to have a silent minute to think of them one minute whomever you've been thinking about just imagine how grateful they must be that at this extra special moment in your life you're remembering them with such Thanksgiving you know the Greek word for thanks is Eucharist the way we say thank you to God and to each other is the greatest imaginable form of appreciation in fact the reason we were created in God's image in God's selim is to be God's representatives on this earth to do here what God would do to take care of the land and each other as God would take care of us you don't ever have to do anything sensational in order to love or to be loved the real drama of life that which matters most is rarely center stage or in the spotlight in fact it has nothing to do with IQs and honors and the fancy outsides of life what really nourishes the soul is the knowing that we can be trusted that we never have to fear the truth that the foundation of our very being is good stuff I wanted to be with you today because I know that many you grew up with the neighborhood some as children some as parents and I'm really proud of the way you've grown and before I say goodbye and bow again to the eternal within you I'd like to give you the words of one of my favorite neighborhood songs this song is called it's you I like it's you I like it's not the things you wear it's not the way you do your hair but it's you I like the way you are right now the way down deep inside you not the things that hide you not your diplomas they're just beside you but it's you I like every part of you your skin your eyes your feelings whether old or new I hope that you remember even when you're feeling blue that it's you I like it's you yourself it's you it's you I like congratulations to you all [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] dr. Lynn miner interim dean of the graduate school please approach the lectern

Channel: MarquetteU

Views: 75,970

Rating: 4.9389558 out of 5

Keywords: Marquette, Marquette University, Milwaukee, mr rogers, fred rogers

Id: qdcEGvk5764

Length: 20min 31sec (1231 seconds)

Published: Tue May 15 2018