We've had some new elements on KULC the last few days and I've spent a lot more time watching the station. I've also caught more of the daytime schedule of our sister station KUED, and our "neighbor" station in Provo, KBYU -- which runs episodes of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood every afternoon -- which led me to a web search -- which led me to this:

"Our world hangs like a magnificent jewel in the vastness of space. Every one of us is a part of that jewel. A facet of that jewel. And in the perspective of infinity, our differences are infinitesimal. We are intimately related. May we never even pretend that we are not.

Have you heard my favorite story that came from the Seattle Special Olympics? Well, for the 100-yard dash 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 not long afterward one little boy stumbled and fell and hurt his knee and began to cry. The other eight children heard him crying; they slowed down, turned around 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." And the little boy got up and he the rest of the runners linked their arms together and joyfully walked to the finish line.

They all finished the race at the same time. And when they did, everyone in that stadium stood up and clapped and whistled and cheered for a long, long, time.

People who were there are still telling the story with great delight. And you know why. Because deep down, we know that what matters in this life is more than winning for ourselves. What really matters is helping others win too. Even if it means slowing down and changing our course now and then."

--excerpt from Fred Rogers' 2002 Commencement Address at Darthmouth College

http://www.indigo.org/mrrogers.html

"Come away from the din. Come away to the quiet fields, over which the great sky stretches, and where, between us and the stars, there lies but silence; and there, in the stillness let us listen to the voice that is speaking within us." --Jerome L. Jerome (1859-1927)

Couple of quotations I've appreciated in the last few days:

"Acting is the most minor of gifts. After all Shirely Temple could do it when she was four."
--Katharine Hepburn

"What you are is God's gift to you. What you do with yourself is your gift to God."
-unknown