Hi Shayne,

What a wonderful story. And you had the "mystery guest's" voice down pat. I figured out who he was as soon as he mentioned, in a slow soft voice, that he had heard the Superman had been helping people.

I subscribe to the A Word A Day mailing list. In addition to a word and its definition, each e-mail includes a thought for the day; today's seems to me to match your story perfectly:


Joy,
Lynn

Hi Shayne,
nice lottle Story you've written there. We all know how good comfort is for Clark.
Though I have to confess that I couldn't figure out who the Neighbour is - I can't remember the character...
Anyway, nice "in-between" Scene.

Um, 'character' is probably the wrong word in this context. But I have to admit, it took me a moment to identify 'Fred'.

Aww, this was so sweet! Now I suddenly have an urge to binge some episodes of that show I grew up with....

Very sweet story! Brings back happy memories.

Very sweet story. As soon as I realized who Fred was, I just melted. (At first I was convinced the mystery man was Mike the angel.) You have both voices down pat. Loved this little ficlet! Thanks for sharing.

Very sweet story. I really enjoyed it and I figured it out when you mentioned red cardigan.

I agree, this is an excellent vignette. It captures Superman's self-doubt as well as anything else I've ever read, and the style is vintage Shayne. No one else writes like you do. Bravissimo!

Only one quibble: I guess I'm dense, but I have no clue who the older man in the cardigan is. Can someone resolve the mystery for me? I'm quite puzzled.

That doesn't hurt the story for me, though. It's outstanding. I wish I had the ability to invoke emotional states as easily as you do. Kerth nom next year for sure.

Thanks, your story made me tear up a little

Terry, I hope you're joking. It's Mr. Fred Rogers of "Mister Rogers Neighborhood's" fame. He's known for producing and hosting a show that was shown on PBS stations up until 2001 for mostly younger children that is kind of a gold standard in terms of emotional intelligence teaching for children. There's a movie that is based on his friendship with the author of the Esquire magazine article about him. The lessons he taught in the show have been updated and are now taught to the current generation in Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. In many ways, he has a role in many fanfictions which have used him as a character (There's a Thor fancomic floating around where he's also considered worthy by Mjolnir) as a pastoral/therapist role (he was an ordained Presbyterian Pastor), giving insight into what the character might need support.

I'm with Terry. I didn't catch it was Fred Rogers but that makes perfect sense. Wonderful story!

Don't worry, Terry. I was in the same boat too until the answer was revealed to me. Though I may have good excuses due to the timeslot and the Country.:-)

The red cardigan was a great giveaway! Mr. Rogers was a lovely neighbor. Thanks for a gentle and sweet story.

I wasn't joking. I really had no idea, so I'm glad someone clued me in. I really don't mind, though. Like I said, it was a great little tale for a number of reasons. And now I have one more. Everything you said about Fred Rogers was accurate, Christina, and I understand that some public broadcast stations still show his episodes.

I was a little old for Mr.Rogers when it was new on the air. I suppose I thought it wasn't cool at the time. But I get the senior discounts at restaurants and some hotels now, and I plan to milk it as long as I'm around, so there's that compensation.

No worries, guys. Mister Rogers seems to be everywhere (in the US, at least) these days, so it was a simple surprise to see someone not unaware of who the character was. It's been around since the mid 70s, so I'm guessing you were likely a teenager when it first came out, Terry.

With all that said, I haven't said anything about the story.

"Look to the helpers," is a quote from Mister Rogers as advice to children on what to do after a tragedy (I think this was in the wake of 9/11 if I recall correctly). I know you don't use it here, but that awe in his voice, is exactly what I would expect from that perspective.

Was the story about one child inspiring others to make a difference one Mister Rogers used once or is it your own? Either way, I think it's a good one.

Thanks Terry. I was suspicious at the cardigan, the dialog gave the rest. I heard the story in his voice.