One Saturday morning several years ago, I woke up way too early, but was unable to get back to sleep. Not ready to head to the computer, and feeling too nice to wake up Robert, I poured myself a cup of coffee and I don't know why, but I turned on the TV.
Between sips, I flipped through the network programming, which at that time of the morning, was meager at best. I was searching for something, anything, to fill a few minutes, but all I could find were brainless ads for makeup, vacuum cleaners, gym equipment, and the ever present televangelists looking for money.
Then, suddenly, I found myself immersed in a kind of crazy time warp. I had somehow time traveled through dozens of years and I was a child again.
On the TV screen in my living room was The Lone Ranger on his white horse, Silver. It was surreal, to again be a part of something I enjoyed, something I felt so comfortable watching, so many years before.
Then, just as quickly, I was transported to Mayberry where I accompanied Andy, Aunt Bea, and Opie on their latest escapade on the Andy Griffith Show.
When that was over, I found myself in Dodge City, Kansas, with Matt Dillon, Doc, Chester, and Miss Kitty in Gunsmoke.
I only caught the last few minutes of Lassie. Timmy was lost and, same as always, Lassie found him and brought him home safely.
I was amazed at how easily I welcomed all of them back into my life. They were much more than TV characters. They were a big part of my extended family and I really cared about them way back then.
I lost several hours that Saturday morning, but they were good, quality hours. It was just like old times and yet I was seeing these people and places from an older much different perspective and through different eyes.
As a child, these people were larger than life and they were real to me. For as long as the show was on, I was right there with them, listening and learning.
Watching them as an adult, I could see the importance of what I had been simply reminded of. Those shows did it right. All of them reinforced the same values and lessons my parents were teaching us: honesty and truthfulness, the importance of family, obeying the law, and the same values I passed on to my three daughters, that still matter with my grandchildren.
Who are the quality role models for today's children that reinforce parental and family values? I shudder to think parents are too busy now to teach them values and lessons. It would be a double shudder to think today’s children could be raising themselves with only violent and bloody video games as role models.
I wonder what those are teaching our children and grandchildren ...
Hi-Yo Silver …
Poet/Writer/Author of 5 books.
Quora Top Writer 2018.
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They made sure everything was built to last with universal appeal in those days. If they haven't influenced me directly, I get turned on to them by people for whom they influenced.
I’m addicted to Perry Mason (the originals), since my knee surgery 4 years ago. Up until last week, I was able to watch from 5 am to midnight straight over 4 different tv channels if I wanted to. That’s not counting the entire series I can watch on Freevee. Talk about escaping ! I still can watch a bunch, just not all day straight.
Lots and lots of old stuff out there on the stream. So much better than the garbage out there now for the most part. I’ll still turn it off though and hit the satellite radio or iTunes playlists.