A good read from Boston.com Rest in peace, Andy Griffith.
Close your eyes and picture it: small-town America.
It has a little post office, of course. A general store, too, and a fishing hole. There's a barber who knows everyone -- and knows about everyone. There's a friendly auto mechanic. The picture wouldn't be complete without several women who could be anyone's favorite older sister or aunt.
Kids scurry around at reasonable paces, making low-grade mischief while dirtying their short-sleeve plaid shirts or striped T-shirts. Quirky characters wander about in a landscape of picket fences and healthy storefronts. And the police officer in charge? He's tough but fair, community minded, the Solomon of his entire, geographically limited jurisdiction. He's Atticus Finch without any of the racial tension.
Printer-friendly version
PDF version
