Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Andy Griffith Dead @ 86

 

It was with sadness and much nostalgia that I read yesterday of Andy Griffith’s passing.

The nostalgia though relates to a much younger Griffith since in recent years he had become an outspoken member of the Looney Left – constantly bashing all things Republican and not surprisingly, a great admirer of Barack Obama.

The Griffith I so fondly remember though is the ‘unarmed’ Sherriff of Mayberry, North Carolina - Andy Taylor, who along with his side-kick, Barney Fife, kept the peace in their one horse town.

We were all Mayberry’s back then in the 1960s – just like the real one – or should I say the Hollywood version, we all felt safe and secure.  Even those who lived in large cities came under the Mayberry Spell, since they grew up in their own little Mayberry neighbourhoods.

In addition to Andy and Barney, were Aunt Bee, Opie, Floyd, Gomer, Goober, Helen, Thelma, Otis (the town drunk), Howard and many more.  They all became honourable members of our own families.

They represented the times and those times were good.

I remember many of the shows today just as they appeared some 50+ years ago, but there is one in particular that is quite fitting for this Blog.

A stranger came into Mayberry one day and called all the folks he met them by their first names.  He knew all about each of them and he knew everything there was to know about Mayberry. They on the other-hand did not have any idea who he was.  Finally, Andy took the initiative and confronted this chap admitting to him that they did not have a sweet clue who the fellow was.  The guy then quickly apologized and admitted that this was his first visit to Mayberry and yes, he had never met any of the folks.  He had served overseas with Gomer, as I recall it, and Gomer had told him so many stories about Mayberry and the town’s people that he had simply come to believe he personally knew each and everyone of them.

I think we all identified with the Stranger – we too would have acted in this fashion had we been able to find this mythical place.

I will leave you with one other story I read about which I believe to be true.

In one episode, the storyline had ended with a few minutes to spare.  The Director suggested that Andy and Barney simply sit on Aunt Bee’s porch step and talk out the final minutes out bout nothing in particular.  The minutes were quickly used up but they continue to chat.  The crew then packed up and left the lot – leaving them talking and believing that neither was aware that the filming had ceased.

I like to thing of them now – sitting on that stoop talking about things of interest to them, such as an upcoming double date with Helen and Thelma Lou.  It brings me peace.

As I see it...

‘K.D. Galagher’