Hey To Goober.

Thank God for Andy Griffith and the legacy he left us all today, as he passed away at his home on the outer banks of North Carolina at age 86.

Andy Griffith was an absolute cultural icon of his generation, giving us all pause at the crossroads of the twentieth century, a century that saw the world changing faster and more dramatically than any before it, and demonstrably more than any of us could handle. In the Andy Griffith Show, what this writer calls “Shakespeare for the masses,” Mr. Griffith, a big fan of Shakespeare, quietly asked us to stop and consider the best of what we were leaving behind.

My family, including 2 girls ages 8 and 13, still watches The Andy Griffith Show almost every day. We will never forget his contribution to our culture, paying homage to a simpler America, when common sense reigned, family mattered, friends were those in front of you, and grace was the rule of the day.

Ok, so maybe that last one was just the TV show. Or maybe there really was more opportunity back then to think before we could act. And grace, while not necessarily natural to the human condition, nonetheless had a fighting chance in the hearts of men, in a day when finite television was the most convincing delusion that technology could offer. Anyway.

No, it wasn’t a perfect world. But frankly, I’m tired of apologizing for it.

Thanks again for a snapshot of those crossroads, Mr. Griffith. You served us well. May your faith carry you. I hope someday to see you down at the fishing hole.

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