Jeff's Journal

Last week, while we were on vacation in North Carolina,

   Andy Griffith died, not 100 miles from where we were.

Andy played the beloved and wise Sheriff Andy Taylor

  of Mayberry, NC, on the Andy Griffith Show in the sixties.

   The show has been in syndication since then. There was

   an episode on last night.

You must understand, that in North Carolina, Andy is a

   favorite son, an icon representing so much that is good

   in the human condition.

Reports of his death and clips of his life took up most

   every newscast for a couple of days. Mt. Airy,

   where he was born, has turned their Main Street

   into "Mayberry." We drove on the Andy Griffith

   Parkway on the trip home.

In the TV show, Andy played a sheriff of a small town,

   small enough to need only a sheriff and one deputy.

When I served the church in Wendell, NC, in the eighties,

   I often called my little town, Mayberry, and the police

   chief, who was one of my elders, "Barney." He loved it.

So many have and still do love the show for its clean language,

   wholesome subject matter and humor. What I am going to say,

   doesn't change any of that, just highlights the humanness of

   even such a cherished television production.

Andy was a single parent, who would not commit to a relationship,

   Aunt Bea was a wonderful caretaker

   of Andy, but she was fussy, jealous and a bit gossipy. Barney,

   with his one bullet, always got things wrong and was arrogant

   because of his title as deputy sheriff. Floyd was the prototype

   for the male gossip and he was always suspicious. Otis was

   perpetually drunk, Gomer was innocent and simple.

In other words, here were a group of people just trying to live

   their lives. They got angry, misunderstood things, said things

   they didn't mean to say, but in the end worshipped together

   at the little church on Sunday and made peace.

Late in life when Andy was interviewed about the show he said

   these insightful words, "I wish I had been as good a person

   as Andy Taylor." 

You see, Andy had writers and producers. Andy Griffith was

   only thought of as Andy Taylor because he acted the part

   in a television show. But perception is reality and we loved it.

Did you know that you have writers and a Producer who will help

   you "act" or "be" the person you are supposed to be?

Now, where did we put that "script"?

Moving to the deeper places,

Jeff