Make-Believe Money

Wow! Only the second assignment from Cool and Collected's "League of Extraordinary Bloggers" and my wheels are really turning! This week's topic:

You have an unlimited budget and space is not a problem. What piece of Hollywood memorabilia would you want?

I would want something one-of-a-kind so I wouldn't choose the General Lee. They're a dime a dozen.

I would want something real so I wouldn't choose a fully operational hover board.

I would want to avoid remodeling my home so I wouldn't choose Ferris Bueller's bedroom.

I would also want to avoid a lawsuit and/or a restraining order so I wouldn't choose Amy Smart.

I would want something simple and dear to my heart...

One-of-a-kind. Real. Simple. Dear to my heart. With these qualifiers in mind, there's no doubt. I'd be the proud owner of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood Trolley.

Seriously.

For anyone who knows me or has ever visited my other blog, you know that my appreciation for Fred Rogers runs deep. Many childhood hours were spent watching PBS broadcasts of Sesame Street, 3-2-1 Contact, Electric Company, and Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. As a child, I enjoyed the show but as an adult, a parent, and an educator, I appreciate its message.

Of all the props and set pieces from the Neighborhood (most of which I had the great pleasure of seeing first hand last year), the one item most iconic and representative of Fred Rogers and his message is the Neighborhood Trolley. What better piece to spend my unlimited budget on!

There has never been another children's television program quite like Mister Rogers' Neighborhood -- one that focuses less on academia and more on connecting with children on a personal level, teaching them that they are special just as they are. Once you shed the insecurity that suggests that it's not cool to like Mister Rogers, I would bet you'll find that he has touched your life, too.

Be sure to check out some of the responses from other League bloggers. A full list of participating blogs can be found over at Cool and Collected.