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