What ever happened to ... Mayberry?
What ever happened to Mayberry? The Andy Griffith Show was always the example of our tiny little town. The way people lived and the morals that people displayed through their actions were critical traits that define their town and ours. People trusted each other. What ever happened to people trusting other people? We have become a society filled with contracts, prenuptials, and locked doors. Growing up I was taught that if a person is not as good as their word, then they are not much good at all. Living on a farm, we transact a lot of business. I remember when we would cut hay, my grandfather would always get a man to bring his equipment from Pearson to cut and bail it. My grandfather would always cut hay on halves. The guy that cut the hay got half, and my grandfather got half. They always shook hands and that was their contract, a simple hand shake. Now you need a team of lawyers, a ream of paper and a notary public to take care of the same business. Also growing up, I can recall never locking the doors to our house and we always left the keys in our cars, even in town. (I think realistically if we had not left our keys in our cars, we would have lost them. I lose my keys all the time!) People never knocked at our house, they just walked in and were greeted with warm smiles and always something to drink. What ever happened to this? Now we not only lock our doors, but we have a deadbolt and a security system too boot. I guess the deeper question is what has happened to our society? We have gone from being a culture who builds relationships on trust to being a society who is taught to trust no one. What ever happened to the good old days? What every happened to Mayberry?
posted by The Man at
8:57 AM
4 Comments:
I'm not sure why, but I've always been a locked door person. I lock my car as soon as I get into it, before I even crank it up. I lock my house immediately before the door is closed. I like privacy. Maybe it's because I'm an only child, but it freaks me out a bit to have someone behind me. Last night, Wes reached behind him to grab my hand in bed, and I nearly killed him. "You're not supposed to have a hand growing out of your back!" I screamed after I finished my hissy fit (trust me, it took a while). I think it's the youngest child syndrome. I'm used to people hiding around corners, rapping on windows, and just generally trying to scare the crap out of me. Maybe that's why I like my locked doors. I think I could seriously get into guns too, but perhaps that's another story.
By
Donna Sewell, at 9:10 AM
It's weird how the world has changed. Even now, I live way out in the country down a dirt road. If there is ever a "strange" car going down the road, everybody stops to look and see who in the world it is. I can remember when I was a kid, we played in the ditch by the road. Think about how many kids you see playing in ditches now. It's too unsafe. It's so sad! Do you think we'll ever go back or continue to get worse? Hmm...
By
Jennifer Swain, at 9:10 AM
Just yesterday, I went to see a friend, and my first instinct was to walk on in. However, I thought about how proper people should act, so I rang the door bell. I miss the days of people just stopping by to talk and walking on in.
By
Mary Poppins, at 9:14 AM
When my father retired from the company he'd worked at for over 40 years, the office staff went nuts trying to find his "paper work". Finally, they told him they couldn't find his file but would keep looking. He replied, with his wonderful southern drawl, "I didn't sign anything or fill out an application. We just shook hands and I started to work". Amazing, isn't it??? You brought back fond memories.
By
bpd, at 10:32 PM
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