>>>Dear Editor, I am eight years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Mayberry. Papa says, "If you see it in the WBMUTBB Digest, it's so." So please tell me the truth, is there a Mayberry?
Virginia O'Hanlon<<< Yes, Virginia, there is a Mayberry. Ever since TAGS first aired on October 3, 1960, Mayberry has been in continuous existence as a small town in North Carolina inhabited by such beloved characters as Andy Taylor, Barney Fife, Aunt Bee, Opie, Gomer and Goober Pyle, Thelma Lou, and many others. You can find it on cable, satellite, and the Internet, as well as on DVD and now even on Blu-ray! Fans have kept the town alive, humming, and unchanged all these years. But Mayberry exists in other ways, too. You'll find it at Mayberry Days, Mayberry in the Midwest, and several other events held around the country every year where people gather to celebrate the show. You'll find it in the many chapters of The Andy Griffith Show Rerun Watchers Club. You'll find it on various websites and communities on the Internet and in several Facebook groups. You'll find it in books, on recordings, on T-shirts and calendars and ties and signs, in games, and even in Bible studies! You'll find it referenced in current movies, TV shows, books, articles, and cartoons. Oh, you'd be surprised at all the places where Mayberry shows up! But Mayberry exists in other places, too. You'll find Mayberry wherever folks are kind and neighborly. Where people tolerate a crotchety old lady and bring her food when she's down with an imaginary ailment. Where people stuff themselves with multiple quarts of pickles so that a widow can take comfort in another blue ribbon for her scrapbook. Where a whole town will voluntarily lock themselves up so a sensitive deputy can regain his confidence and self-worth. Where a father can't bring himself to believe his son's far-fetched story--but he does believe in his son. Where a man treats his date with respect and kindness, not because she's pretty but because she's "nice, real nice." And where those in authority know that when you're dealing with people, you should go "not so much by the book, but by the heart." Mayberry is a place where people are valued and forgiven and loved, not because they are perfect but in spite of their very human weaknesses and flaws. Many people all ov er the country will claim Mayberry as their hometown. And, yes, Virginia, it's very, very real! Thelma Lou (Janet) _______________________________________________ WBMUTBB mailing list [email protected] http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
