What Mayberry Means to Me
Contest

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Voting was over on February 7th, 2004

It's not that Mayberry is without conflict,
but that conflict is resolved with dignity.
It's not that Mayberry is without anger,
but that anger does not permit degradation.

It's not that Mayberry is without disappointment,
but that disappointment is met with compassion.
It's not that Mayberry is without suspicion,
but that suspicion is allowed due course of discovery.

It's not that Mayberry is without jealousy,
but that jealousy is confronted and forgiven.
It's not that Mayberry is without grieving,
but that grieving is done in community.

It's not that Mayberry is without exploitation,
but that exploitation is won over with honesty.
It's not that Mayberry is without unlawfullness,
but that unlawfullness is recognized and punished.

It's not that Mayberry is without mistakes,
but that mistakes are acknowledged and remedied.
It's not that Mayberry is without pride,
but that pride is tempered with graciousness.

It's not that Mayberry is without reality,
but that it's the reality we'd like to ascribe to.

ENTRY #2

Mayberry. Just the name itself causes the imagination to bring up happy days of a bygone era.

Mayberry. It is an escape from the cares of the world, a place where you can share your problems with your neighbor and he can share his with you. It is a place where if you need something, it is known before you ask and  done before you know how it was spread around. What a wonderful time of life to have lived, when we could sit and get the cares off our shoulders for a while and have a laugh or two, learn a valuable lesson, and see how the simpler life beats the rush of "what's in it for me" we are all now familiar with.

Mayberry means new friends, new adventures, new smiles and always being able to remember a particular episode and have a happy time in the face of  adversity.

What does Mayberry mean to me, in a nutshell? There is always a friendly person to listen and to help if we but let them share with us.

ENTRY #3

In times like ours, when reality means Code Orange, daily U.S. military death tolls, Mad Cow Disease, and earthquakes, (and that's only one day's headlines) not to mention the difficult challenges we all have in our personal lives, Mayberry is a respite and a refuge -- a safe place to be. Mayberry's citizens may be silly at times, or quirky, or unreasonable, but they're also sweet and funny and personable. They're three-dimensional. They're not about quick retorts and put-downs. They don't assassinate each others' characters to get a laugh or shock and offend us. Mayberry is gentle; it's decent. It's where we want to be when we want to relax, to take a break, or to help us end a hectic day. Mayberry is our front porch on a warm Sunday afternoon -- it lets us nod off with an apple peel dangling from our hand.

ENTRY #4

What Mayberry means to me.

"The Ideal Place to Live"
Inside all of us, there is an idea place where we would like to live. Mayberry comes about as close to that ideal place, as most can imagine.

What is so special about Mayberry and why is it that "Ideal Place"?

Its Era, and Timelessness.
Mayberry was set in a time that was simpler, yet without hardship. There were automobiles, but no hurried appointments, or long commutes to work. There were telephones, but rare and few inconvenient or annoying calls And though Opie grew up, and Gomer went away to the Marines... Time largely stood still, and thus worries and ailments were few.

Its Friendliness and Appeal.
Mayberry was set on the highway of life that many travelers and drifters passed through Every stranger was welcomed, and even questionable characters were given a chance For those down on their luck, there was usually work to be found For those away from home, there was often a home-cooked meal and perhaps even a place to sleep and genuine hospitality. For all, there were smiles, handshakes, and an opportunity to be "one of them"

Its Values, Law and Order
This little town, beneath its friendliness and appeal, had virtues A day's wage for an honest day's work was the standard Laws were made to be enforced, and lawbreakers were dealt with appropriately The unruly learned to fear the law, while the honest felt safe and secure Citizenship, honesty and integrity were valued more than fame or fortune

Its Children
Yes there were exceptions, but children, seen mostly through the eyes of Opie, were Obedient to their parents, and respectful of all others They were not perfect, but willing to learn and grow from their mistakes Pure and wholesome, yet free and adventuresome Sometimes ordinary, sometimes exemplary, they were always worthy of pride

Its Characters, Funny and Lovable
The residents of Mayberry were real and human while being funny and memorable They all had shortcomings, but also had great qualities and honorable intentions Their situations, their faces and their words made them funny Without off-color innuendo or crass behavior They could make the ordinary seem humorous, and the humorous delightful They could make us cry, or cheer, and often reminded us of ourselves They were the kind of people that we want to imitate or be friends with.

Its Sheriff's Perspective--
No matter the calamity, crisis, or gaffe, in the end old reliable Andy Taylor usually solved the problem, stemmed the crisis, or healed the hurt. Happy endings abounded even when he was at fault. He was never too proud to admit to his son he was at fault, Or to let his trusty deputy to take credit for his own fine work. The things that we long for the most are always there behind the sheriff's smile A family to be proud of, good friends, a peaceful place to live Fine food and fellowship, a good natured laugh now and then And the extreme satisfaction that he has helped many others in the little ideal world of Mayberry

That's what Mayberry means to me.
That ideal place that I can live, if only for 30 minutes at a time.

ENTRY #5

Mayberry means so much to me that it's hard to describe any one thing, but I came up with something that I think is very close to what it really means to me personally.

T - "Thats for you Thelma Lou"
H - "He's a nut"
E - "Emancipation Proclaimation"

A - "A Sherriff Without A Gun"
N - "Nip it in the bud"
D - "Dooley"
Y - "You beat everything"

G - "Garden city of the state"
R - "Relax to............................(music under the stars)
I - "If lost or stolen please return to Bernard P. Fife.........signed Bernard P Fife"
F - "Ford Galaxy...JL327"
F - "Floyd's Barber Shop"
I - "Illegal U-turn"
T - "Therepetic"
H - "How do you do Mrs. Wiley"

S - "Seventy six documented cases of malfeasance"
H - "His 'ol salt and pepper suit"
O - "Obey all rules"
W - "West Indian Licorice Mocha Delight"

ENTRY #6

Pretty simple actually...

Family, Friends, Happiness.

ENTRY #7

What Mayberry Means To Me.

Mayberry means home, It's safe. It's where I live in my heart. The people are always the same, You can always count on them. Mayberry is peace, a state of mind, I long for the days of Mayberry. I believe that when you die and go to heaven, Mayberry is where you go. I've recently started to meditate and when you meditate you are suppose to go to a happy , relaxing place in your mind. I always go to Mayberry. I am sitting on the Taylor's front porch with the Mayberry Gang. The sun is just going down and Andy is singing a sweet, slow melody while the wonderful smells of Aunt Bee's cooking surrounds our heads with what delicacies await for supper.

My day is never complete until I have taken a trip to Mayberry if only for a few minutes.

So when I lay my head down to sleep the last two things that I want to see is my husband and Mayberry ,to make for the sweetest of dreams.

ENTRY #8

What Mayberry Means To Me

If boiled down to a single thought, it would be bygone memories. When I watch I recall old times and departed folks. I’m reminded of good food, talking, laughing and eccentric people who could see the quirks in others but not themselves.

I think of my dad. He was a weekend, bluegrass musician. Every episode that featured music inspired him to jump up, grab his upright bass and play along.

I think of my grandpa. He always seemed to be wearing a blue or green plaid shirt that looked like something Andy would wear. He never quite got used to color TV and insisted on having a black and white set even into the 1980s.

I think of Grandma Brown. She made the best pies and rolls. Like Clara, she even made good pickles. She seemed to be able to cook as naturally as breathing. Before she passed away recently, she told my mom to be sure and get the blackberry pie out of her freezer. Blackberry is my favorite.

Other TAGS characters seemed to have made appearances in my family. There was at least one Otis who everyone knew drank too much. Barneys who kind of knew something about every subject. Briscoes who thought gatherings weren’t complete without bringing along your musical instrument. There were all kinds of kids who, like Opie and his friends, had a great time playing or roughhousing with each other. Goobers and Gomers who couldn’t wait to get a look under the hood of the newest cars. There were proper ladies who brought potluck dishes and got after rowdy children. A couple of fun girls who looked a little more glamorous, and were suspected of possibly being a little naughty. And the Floyds who just seemed to enjoy being there and talking to whoever came around.

It's the Mayberry moments (and memories) that make life fun.

ENTRY #9

Mayberry means innocence and a place where kids are safe to walk the street and everybody watches out for them.

Mayberry is a place where guys can hang out at the barber shop and play checkers and tell jokes and launch poltical careers.

Mayberry is a place where nobody is in a hurry.

Mayberry is a place where the most admired person is the sheriff.

Mayberry is a community where friends and family are doing their best to improve their town for future generations.

Mayberry is a town where the truth is more important than personal recognition.

Mayberry is the place where change comes gracefully.

Mayberry is a place where even the town drunk is proud to be a citizen of.

Mayberry is the place where we all dream about growing up in and that is why it is our "hometown."

ENTRY #10

Mayberry is a place that you can go too for 30 minutes at a time and have the best time of all. You'll either leave there laughing your head off, or maybe a tear is falling from your cheek. Either way, you'll be glad you visited.

I'm so glad to have gotten to have the enjoyment of Mayberry in my lifetime. I sure wish towns like Mayberry were still on TV today instead of the ones that are. The people in that town are so kind, they care about one another and you never hear anything dirty come from their mouths. Occasionally gossip might slip out, but it's never hurtful or putting someone down.

Going to Mayberry has been one of the biggest pleasures in my life and I am grateful for it.

ENTRY #11

It took a snide remark in passing to challenge me to find exactly how to put into words, what a TV show that seemed the least like a show and more like my adopted hometown, means to me.

I won't mention his name, but a certain nationally-syndicated radio host recently criticized movies and TV shows that failed to portray family life "realistically." One example had to do with a problem being solved "just because Aunt Bee made a pie." Setting aside the fact that the scenario in question *never* happened in any of the 249 episodes of "The Andy Griffith Show" (Aunt Bee solving a problem by making a pie...except maybe hunger), a fan only has to look at how problems *were* solved (and this none-too-familiar host obviously meant family problems). First of all, Andy was a single father, and the real world is chock full of single parents struggling to make it on their own. We saw Andy on numerous occasions, talk directly to his son Opie, in a way Opie would understand without being condescending, yet without losing any discipline along the way. Andy didn't want Opie to just know things, he wanted him to have a moral center and feel things. And on several occasions, the big surprise is that Andy had already succeeded. Lecturing and preparing to punish Opie (not giving money to charity, not holding onto his grocery store job) he found out Opie already had that moral compass necessary to negotiate the countryside of Mayberry county. He didn't always have to teach Opie how to do the right thing, Opie already knew. (He used his charity money to buy a coat for an underprivileged girl, and deliberately lost his job so another boy could use the money to help his family through hard times.) It was a surprising counterpoint to the black and white "there's a lesson at the end of every episode" mentality of so many TV shows of that day (oh yeah there were lessons, but they jumped from behind bushes like Ernest T. and surprised you), and a surprisingly complex and realistic thing to see in a city that's basically a baby boomer TV Utopia.

Of course, this wasn't "Father Knows Best," it wasn't just about the Taylor family, it was about the town. It was about the fact a barber known for his love of Calvin Coolidge, a simple minded but always friendly mechanic (and his cousin), a family of musical mountain people, a lady druggist, a school teacher. And of course, about an overzealous deputy who once arrested the whole town but even then still had their love, because he was their friend, their confidant, their neighbor, their fellow member of the choir, their best friend since school, their boyfriend, their favorite customer, their favorite person who calls the diner. And when the chips were down that bond always remained intact. The people of Mayberry were some of the most devoutly religious and patriotic people anywhere on TV but they never hit you over the head with it, you just knew. You saw how they treated each other.

Mayberry is what it is because Andy Griffith modelled it after his own hometown, and perhaps even his own personality--or at least what he considered the best part of himself. For example, he was not political in those days, which is why the show appears to defy any type of liberal or conservative label. It's not even ideologically distinct enough to be called "moderate." It's something a whole lot deeper: the center part of our moral compass.

No, Aunt Bee never fixed a personal problem by baking a pie (and certainly not by canning pickles). But sitting down at that imaginary dinner table and eating one of her pies is to know that everything is already all right with the world and and my fellow man, and *that* is what Mayberry means to me.

ENTRY #12

What Mayberry Means To Me!

Mayberry...just the name brings peace to my heart. It is a place where I know almost everyone on a first name basis, unless of course they are my elder, then out of respect, I would put Mr., Mrs. or Miss in front of their name.

Mayberry is a place where I don't need a television blaring all the time because my family and friends are so much more interesting to visit with.

Mayberry is a soft, still evening sitting on the front porch and just listening to the quiet sounds of the town settling down for the night. It is a place where I can leave my keys in my car in the driveway overnight and not worry if it will be there in the morning.

Mayberry is a place where I can "go to town", walk down the streets nodding to each person I meet, and know they are my friends. I might stop and listen to some music from Jim Lindsay or the Darling family, then just sit a spell and visit with them. Walking down the streets of Mayberry, I might even get offered a bite of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich if I'm lucky!

Mayberry is a place where I don't have to worry about crime or bad things happening, except of course every once in a while I might have to watch out for a kid who will forget and ride his bike on the sidewalk.

Mayberry is a place where everyone watches out for and cares for their fellow citizens. It would be okay to let my kids run and play outside, not worrying that they might not be safe, because everyone looks out for them.

Mayberry is a place where I can sit on a bench in town and just "visit" with folks there, and enjoy a beautiful afternoon.

Mayberry is such a special place that it just feels like I am "home" when I get there.

ENTRY #13

What appeals to me is that it was THREE different, distinct locations that created Mayberry: Desilu Studios, Forty Acres Lot, and Franklin Canyon Reservoir.

Why, whenever I see Captain Kirk and company roam the streets of Mayberry in 'Miri' and 'City On the Edge of Forever', I think of Mayberry.

Cousin Virgil peered out from one of the Main Street storefronts to see a ransacked Mayberry four years after visiting Cousin Barney.

Whenever I see Kirk and Spock walking around Myers Lake in 'The Paradise Syndrome', I think of the possibility of Colin Male giving them a ticket for fishing without a license.

Who can forget the Mayberry Grand Theater, where classic movies were seen inside and False Face was captured outside in 'Batman.' Even Aunt Harriet was seen on the Mayberry residential street in the 'Gomer Pyle USMC''s 'Gomer the Good Samaritan.'

Sure, Mayberry made ol' Goober rich, but it REALLY made Andy rich, and elevated his celebrity status greatly. You have Mt. Airy, North Carolina, a Mayberry, NC, and a Mayberry, VA. But I stress again and again. Mayberry is NOT a geographical location. Mayberry is a state of mind!

ENTRY #14

I graduated High School in 1979 and decided to wait a year to go for my higher education since I finished my four years of High School in only three (it's 2004 and I'm still waiting that one year, ha, ha). Within a year, I had moved into an apartment with friend which was probably not a good idea for a 17 year old, but one good thing that we did was watch The Andy Griffith Show on cable TV everyday.

This was probably the roots of my addiction to Andy and Barney. Now jumping ahead 11 years to 1990, I've now been married for almost 2 years and our first child, Madison, is born, but dies 3 days later due to a nurses error prior to birth. It was really hard on both Freda and I since we had wanted children so bad.

During my wifes stay in the hospital, we were visited by just about every kind of psychiatrist imaginable, but one in particular talked with me alone. She told me that the first year after an infants death would be hard on both of us, but extremely hard on Freda. She had already asked what kind of hobbies I had (basketball, basketball and basketball) and the next thing she said was that it was important to have a hobby but that I would need to get interested in something that wouldn't take me away from the home so that I wouldn't be leaving Freda at home by herself. She ask a number of questions then wondered if I had a favorite television show. I told her that I had always enjoyed The Andy Griffith Show.

She said she had heard a radio station talk of a huge fan club at one time and that it would be an inexpensive hobby that wouldn't require a lot of leaving the house (yeah right, I've been to 20+ different states since then). So, I started looking for this fan club. I called just about every radio station in town, placed an ad in a local newspaper and even called our local CBS affiliate thinking that they might have some information.

Eight months later I had pretty much given up on getting any information on this "club" and was watching a video that I had taped of The Andy Griffith Show 30th Anniversary when the phone rang. It was my mother who talked and talked and talked. She talked so long that the special that I was watching was ending and like a miracle, right there in the ending credits was the address for THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW RERUN WATCHERS CLUB! I had probably watched this show 4 or 5 times, but I had always turned it off when the credits started. So I sent off a letter within 30 minutes.

A couple of weeks later I received information on joining and once again, it took about 30 minutes to get that in the mail. The very first edition of the Bullet that I received came with a flyer promoting the Reunion at Opryland. Later that evening, I called Freda at work and told her that I had already made motel reservations and paid for our tickets to go see Don Knotts! She thought I was joking. I wasn't. We went to our first Mayberry gathering at Opryland and had a wonderful time.

Two of the people that I met while standing in line for Don Knotts autograph are two of my best friends to this day. Anytime that I feel a little down, there's more than a dozen Mayberry friends that I can call and just say "hey" and get an instant lift. Like Andy said, when your feeling bad, you shoot for the good feeling, only I don't go clean the garage. I turn on The Andy Griffith Show and that good feeling that I get reminds me of a cute little girl that we had for such a short time. Not just any show could do that.

ENTRY #15

What Mayberry Means to me

To me Mayberry is a place where I long to be. A place where I wish I could call home. It's my idea of heaven. Just hearing the word "Mayberry" brings a smile to my face.

So what is it about Mayberry that means so much to so many of us? I believe we love escaping back to the good old days where life was a little simpler and easygoing, even if that escape is only for a half an hour. With all the reality shows that seem to be polluting the TV stations today, it's nice to have a place like Mayberry to escape to. I think Mayberry shows us life the way we all imagine life should be. A life where people are genuinely good to one another. One where people look out for one another and care for one another. Mayberry shows us the value of family, friends, and community, something that seems to be missing in the world we live in today.

ENTRY #16

Relax, what's your hurry? Pants stuck in a boot,
a trip to Mount Pilot ... for a good suit.

To Raleigh for club and Jubal's for fire,
In Mayberry even Barney sings in the choir.

Winkin' Blinkin' & Nod and another called Dickie
Even Barney is a bird in this world, very tricky.

For Olive, a quarter tip is enough,
For Opie to lose in the race was so tough.

For Floyd, a ruined hamburger isn't his fault.
Another time "AL" busted out of a vault.

A Fise named Fife with bullet in pocket,
His Preamble hair .. like finger in socket.

Andy and Mary alone in a car,
Can town with Barney be not very far?

With Lydia and Goober, you now have six
paring 'em up, in the middle, she gets sick.

Leon around with PB&J
Eddie Brooke hiding, up in the hay.

Red haired son that has questions in head,
Eagle-eye Annie traded, for jacket for bed?

Cousin Karen with gun, a very good shot,
Mayberry Deputy Barney, sadly, is not.

Ernest T. will come hither his hand with a rock
One time corn squeezin's, with water in jail's crock.

Otis will be wanting more than a swaller',
A head in a harness can make you some taller.

Manicure all of my fingers, especially my trigger,
A gold truck through Mayberry, nothing is bigger.

Andy, Barney and Fun Girls! in a booth,
Not everything Johnny Paul says is the truth.

The tater chips are groovy, the pickes..they ain't,
Dry as dust is a sermon that comes from a saint.

A license is needed sometimes when you're fishin'
Jump in and hang on, three things you're a wishin'.

Keyed up and all of those sounds from a jug
Has anyone wondered if Schumps hair is a rug?

My dad "Monroe painted" my woodworking shed,
Three at the table, Peggy's dinner she fed.

Is a Rose any less sweet if replaced by a Bee?
Someone come unlock us from the cell with a key.

Sarah, get me Juanita down at the diner,
Shows in the 60's, nothing was finer.

Tex, whadda ya say we take you back home
A town, like Mayberry, is where we belong.

Another ice cream soda, PHarmacy Gal.
Andy and Barney; a cousin, a pal.

Electronical marvel in the cell is a bug.
Big Jeff come to town for a wife and a hug.

Away in a manger, a cell and a bed.
Christmas with Ben, a good-eatin' spread.

A head of read and the black eye's a beaut.
Here come the "engaged", hooty-hoo hooty hoot.

A dancin' Gomer and date with Grace.
A cousin with sewn fingers, Wally's his place.

It's not so much by the book, but by heart.
Sorry...I done 10-4'ed ya - got thawing beef in a cart.

Floyd, Howard, Otis, Briscoe and Bee,
They're still alive every night on TV.

I'll never forget "My, aren't you kind,?!"
Memories like these, alive in my mind.

This is what Mayberry means to me
Andy, Opie, Barney and Aunt Bee.

ENTRY #17

Mayberry is a place where I can go and forget about the troubles of the world. It is a place where everybody knows you and loves you. It is place where everybody knows you with all your pluses and minus and they love anyway. Andy is a very wise leader. He has a way of getting people to work out problems and letting them think they had figured it out. That is the way he helped Opie. He never made Opie feel small insignificant. Even when he would go to his room to punish him, he would end up talking to him and working things out. His influence on Opie was very obvious. Opie was a very loving caring and honest little boy and young man.

Aunt Bee was loved by everybody. She was one of the best cooks in the county, except for pickles of course. She has the small town wisdom which is a mixture of fact and a bit of folk lore. She worries about her friends and family.

Barney is someone everybody loves. He thinks he knows more than he really does on a lot of subjects. And of course Andy covers for him and never lets him know. I think we all have a little bit of Barney in us. We all want to be accepted. We all have bee in situations where we may not have known just what to say or how to say it and might not have known just exactly what was being talked about. Yet if you needed a friend Barney would be there for you.

Then there are the others we love. Goober, who didn't have a lot of book knowledge but was very wise in his own way, as was Gomer. Floyd was also a friend. You could go to his shop and just sit and rest, or play checkers, or get caught up on the latest "news." Howard was also a very good friend even though he was somewhat sheltered by his mother.

There are so many people that made up Mayberry. All of the friends. All of them loved you. All of them cared.

Mayberry was a place where you didn't really have to lock your doors. You knew everybody anyway. But even strangers were welcomed. They were made to feel at home, even if they were under suspicion at first.

Mayberry is a great place to go and relax. It just means peace.

ENTRY #18

I grew up in a small North Carolina town, watching TAGS as a child was just like watching real life to me, everybody in Mayberry sounded like us and acted like us, of course time changed my real little NC hometown, but I still have Mayberry , it thankfully remains the same and no matter where I am when I watch it I am at home in my heart.

ENTRY #19

What Mayberry Means to Me

Many's the day I'd stop and watch Andy on TV. My dad was raising three children on his own, and I identified with Opie.

Always Mayberry gave me comfort and smiles when I'd be feeling down. Don't we all wish deep down inside that we lived in that kind of town?

Young forever, Barney and Andy will remain always in our hearts. And Aunt Bee's cooking, and Andy a-picking, I'd love to been there from the start.

Barney always gave us giggles, seemed like he was being himself. Wasn't it wonderful just settling in with Mayberry and the peace that you felt?

Every day Opie had time to spend with his "Pa" and his friends. Wouldn't it be wonderful to share those times, go back to Mayberry again?

Reckon we never saw or heard of anyone in need be ignored. And even though, the town was small, not one episode ever left us bored.

Recalling the times, never forget when Otis got his snoot full. Gomer and Goober with their backward ways, and Ernest T acting a fool.

You and I have surely been blessed by the love we have for the show. I know I'd be willing to bet, Mayberrians are the best folks to know.

Mayberry, may ber reeee....

ENTRY #20

What Mayberry Means to Me

Mayberry, to me, is a group of people that I only see once or twice a year but who are more than friends. They are family. It is a group of people who are happy for us when our grandchild is born and who hurt for us when our daddy dies. It is a group of people, scattered from the east coast to the west, who not only share a love for a certain television show of the 60's but also share a love and caring for one another. It is a group of people who are miles away but are as close as my computer.

It is a wonderful couple in Nebraska who, by computer and long distance phone calls, organized a surprise 25th wedding anniversary party for us .... and the people who took part in it by sending cards and gifts to our son and making us feel like all of them were actually here with us on that occasion.

It is a lady in California who always seems to know the right thing to say and a lady in Virginia who seems more like an old friend from school than someone we met online only 7 years ago; people from South Carolina and from Illinois and from Maryland who are always smiling and always have a kind word. It is an actor from Virginia, an engineer from Alabama, a 'Prince of a Fella'  from Nashville, and a wonderful friend in Raleigh, all of who have a gift for making everyone else feel good and important and special.

Mayberry to me is our Friday night get-together at Mayberry Days, watching the parade from 'our' spot, swapping quotes with the best quote-swappers (and hugs with the best huggers) in the world, and the always sad goodbyes after breakfast on Sunday. It is an inside joke on the 'Front Porch' or in the WBMUTBB Digest.

It's an e-mail that seems to come at just the right time. It is sitting in rockers in Kingsport, TN while eating genuine Snappy Lunch pork chop sandwiches. It's squad car races, trivia, Andy on the Opry, hearty-eatin' men and beautiful delicate women, chicken thieves and what-not.

Mayberry, to me, is a state of mind and a state of heart and it is home to the best people in the world...our friends.