What a smile! Renowned TV actor and icon Andy Griffith is someone I grew up with and I found his smile intoxicating. The man albeit via all the characters he played, was so damn happy that you couldn’t help but go there with him.
Andy died this morning at his home on Roanoake Island in North Carolina, a sad day for yanks who grew up as a child seeing his Mayberry’s folksy sheriff character in the self-titled 1960s series “The Andy Griffith Show”.
Even President Obama who grew up with his TV personality had something to say about his death: “Andy was beloved by generations of fans and revered by entertainers who followed in his footsteps,” he said in a statement. “He brought us characters from Sheriff Andy Taylor to Ben Matlock, and in the process, warmed the hearts of Americans everywhere.”
Warmed the hearts was a great way of putting it to be honest, because everything about the man was warm when he wasn’t being witty, sarcastic or humorous.
I also loved him in his role as defense attorney Ben Matlock in the long-running “Matlock” mystery series that was launched in the 1980s but a show I never saw until much later…..like The Andy Griffith Show, it lives on in syndication.
A man who brought a smile and warm memory to so many deserves a call out, whether Hollywood and folks like Ron Howard who worked with him as a child mourn or not. Below is a video clip of Howard’s memories. Seeing him in this video reminded me that I’m not getting any younger.
We can’t stop the passing of time and losing people who had an impact on us is a simply reminder that we can’t stop the inevitable. That said, we can honor what will come to pass and ensure that whatever lessons we learned from the ‘greats’ of our time are passed onto everyone we know.
Thanks Andy for the memories and may you rest in peace.
Photo Credit: CBS PHOTO ARCHIVE/CBS VIA GETTY IMAGES
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
