Can We Talk 2

Mayberry Revisited

         Did you ever wonder about what the fictional town of Mayberry would be like in 2026? The show was made in the early 1960's and even then the small town seemed like a fairy tale. I have found a few places that came close, but everywhere seems to be changing so fast. Small towns have turned into strictly residential areas of larger towns or have been run over by industry and highways.

         I imagine that at the very least the modern Mayberry would have at least one McDonald's and a big chain gas stop where you pump it yourself. Maybe it would have a convenience store and deli attached and, of course, public bathrooms. There would probably be a garden supply store just outside of town, and maybe a doughnut shop. Wiley would have retired and sold his shop to a couple who ran a repair shop on a busy intersection. They would use computers to order parts and probably have 3 or 4 bays to work on multiple autos. The wife would do the books and take the money as an equal business partner with her husband.

         Like other small towns growing up, there would be a Food Lion or other grocery chain with a big parking lot. Across the street would be a CVS, while loyal customers would still choose to go to the existing drugstore. Soda fountains inside a store are just a novelty these days, but it still might exist. Most likely there would be a secondhand store, either run for profit or by local churches. The church one would offer free clothes and shoes for homeless people or people referred by social workers or bargains for people on a tight budget. One run for profit would benefit first time homeowners who want furniture they can paint or refinish or bargain hunters from Mount Pilot or Raleigh. (I used to love going to such stores in the country.)

         There would have to be more than one deputy. With increased population in the surrounding area, there would be more traffic, more accidents, more burglaries. There are homeless people everywhere. The lake would be a prime location for people to camp out without offending people. There would be women, too, not just men like you occasionally saw on Andy Griffith. Abandoned homes or sheds would be occupied. There still might not be a need for a gun in the town limits, but the crime rate would surely go up.

         I think it would be safe to say there would still be a friendly atmosphere. I have visited some small towns, maybe not as small or picturesque as Mayberry, but they tend to be welcoming and congenial. They want your business and know one another. They recognize you as an outsider, which would never happen where I live now. I am afraid that these towns won't be so small or accommodating 20 years from now. If only we could bottle that sense of community and keep it even when enterprise tries to squeeze us out.