This past Wednesday, I had to take my ’06 Honda Civic to the dealership from where I bought it. The pump that shoots out windshield wiper fluid had stopped working. So, I had to sit there for about two hours waiting on them to do that. This dealership just recently moved into this new facility. It is Modern with a capital “M.” They had three HDTV’s in the waiting area. They had a Starbucks free of charge. There was a Hertz rental kiosk for those who needed a rental. They had an internet room where they had some of the best computers Dell has to offer to use, plus WIFI if you wanted to use your own computer. They even had a kids room with everything available to keep them busy. The thing that got me was when I went to the men’s restroom, they had 15 inch HDTV’s over the urinals! I kid you not. It may have been the only time I’ve ever taken my car for repairs and actually enjoyed myself.

On one of the huge HDTV’s, they had movies showing constantly. The other HDTVs had either ESPN or CNN. I decided to watch a movie that was just getting started. The name of it was “Waitress.” I had never seen it before. It was about a woman working as a waitress who is stuck in a marriage with an abusive husband and meets a man she loves. Unfortunately, the man is married. But, that is not what got my attention. There was an elderly man giving the waitress (Keri Russell as I found out later) a hard time with his order. I looked at this man and thought he looked familiar. It took me about five minutes to realize it was Andy Griffith. He has gotten so old, so swollen in the face now, I didn’t recognize him. He’s still a good actor even in a supporting role. I was just shocked at the way he has aged. I guess we are all headed that way if we live long enough. Andy Griffith has to be in his mid-80s by now.

I love “The Andy Griffith Show.” I never get tired of watching Andy, Barney, Aunt Bea, Otis, Floyd and all the rest. They’re almost like family members to me now. It’s a simple show with just a basic plot in each one; to entertain the audience for 30 minutes. No political statements, no profanity, no special effects or nudity. Just a program with good acting and great comedy. I don’t remember even seeing Andy kiss Miss Crump. I guess in those days it just wasn’t necessary. The Miss Crump role played by Aneta Corsaut (who passed away in 1996) was played to perfection. Of course, everyone’s favorite, Barney Fife (Don Knotts), was the one who always got you to laughing. The entire cast is just about gone now. I suspect Andy doesn’t have many years left. Barney won’t be the subject of a “citizen’s arrest” by Gomer any longer. Otis won’t be locking himself up after an all night bender. They all brought laughter during a time that America was experiencing a revolution of sorts (the 60s). They still do over 40 years later. And, from the looks of today's world, we really need "Andy and the gang" now.