A Return To Mayberry

When I was a child, my parents introduced me to the Andy Griffith Show. The show premiered in 1960, airing on CBS. It ran until 1968, rating as the number one watched show in its final year. I was born in 1971. I'm guessing the show meant little to me until the late 1970's. But, when I started watching the show, I found myself hooked. Here we are in 2021, and I still watch the show on a regular basis. Thankfully, Amazon Prime offers all seasons for free! I love the comedic chemistry between Sheriff Andy Taylor and Deputy Barney Fife. I love the Father/Son relationship between Andy and Opie. Characters like Goober, Gomer, and Floyd the Barber are legends in their own rites. The directors of the show assembled a cast of phenomenal actors and have reaped the benefits of audience approval for decades. I think one of the key reasons generations of people have loved the show is that we yearn for the world to be like Mayberry.

One of the things I love about Mayberry, is the slow pace of life. In Mayberry, lives aren't controlled by the rat race we find ourselves caught up in. Residents aren't rushing here and racing there. The laid back nature of Mayberry is certainly attractive. Honestly, that's been one of the blessings of a global pandemic. In March of 2020, the world slowed down. The hectic life lived by billions of people around the globe, ground to a screeching halt. Granted, the pandemic has given rise to global suffering, but in every tragedy, bright spots can be found. I found one of the bright spots to be forcing the world to truly "stop and smell the roses." As Covid restrictions loosen and a sense of normalcy resumes, I hope we remember the importance of treasuring life...just like the citizens of Mayberry.

Another reason I love Mayberry, is that the folks living there exemplify what it means to love your neighbor. Don't misunderstand. Mayberry isn't a utopia. They don't always get along. In some episodes, Barney drives Andy crazy. On occasion, the residents of Mayberry unintentionally hurt the fragile ego of Deputy Fife. Aunt Bee and her nephew Andy disagree from time to time, but when push comes to shove, you will find no people more loyal than the folks of Mayberry. It's a blessing to have friends who have your back...and that's what the residents of this town do. They take care of each other. One once said, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." The people of Mayberry are ready to do just that.

I love Mayberry because they live moral and upstanding lives. Are they perfect? No. Otis the town drunk staggers into the jail about once a week to sleep off his intoxication. But think of it this way, he recognizes his problem with alcohol and turns himself in so that he's not a danger to himself or others. Sheriff Andy often models the importance of telling the truth, especially for his young and impressionable son Opie. Andy taught Opie the importance of hard work. Andy modeled what it meant to put others before himself. Then, in his field of work, Sheriff Andy Taylor governed not so much by the book, but by the heart.

On one episode, Sheriff Taylor was investigated for malfeasance. The charge against Andy was that he often drove the squad car in an unofficial capacity. One instance included buying and delivering groceries to a sick member of the community. Certainly this activity wasn't sanctioned nor encouraged in any law enforcement manual, but Andy Taylor believed that at times the law books failed to consider the humanity and the real needs of people. Andy loved his job as Sheriff, but he loved the people of Mayberry more.

And last but not least, I love the fact that I can turn on any Andy Griffith Show episode, and watch it with my kids without anything embarrassing or inappropriate flashing across the screen. The show offers laughs and life lessons and is truly family friendly. Maybe that's what I love about Mayberry the most. It's a world I'd love my kids to grow up in.