When my wife and I stayed at the Taylor Home Inn on our two visits, I was awed by the beautiful front porch that Dave and Marsha included. After all, what would the Taylor Home Inn be like without that wonderful porch? It took me back to the many times that we have seen the Taylor family sitting on their special front porch. It brought back memories of all the important life lessons are learned on that very Taylor front porch.
It is on the Taylor front porch where the Taylors sit after coming home from church and Aunt Bea realizes how important her family is to her and how much she misses her little sister Nora. It is on the Taylor front porch where young Ron Bailey learns that if he is to truly be a man, he is going to have to learn to stand on his own two feet. When Andy tells Opie that he will pay for a broken window, Ron comes to realize he can not always expect his father to bail him out of his mistakes. It is on this same porch where he learns that home made ice cream tastes much better than store bought ice cream. It is on the Taylor front porch where Aunt Bea realizes that drifters miss so much in life. When Ben Wheeler suddenly departs from her life, she tearfully realizes how lonely life must be when one has no place to call home. It is on the Taylor front porch where Andy remembers the importance of a father keeping a promise to a son. When Tex, the runaway boy, appears at the Taylor home, it is on the front porch where Andy decides not to call his parents and thus keeps a promise he made to Opie. It is on the Taylor front porch where Malcolm Tucker learns that money and constant work are not the most important things in life. It is on the porch where he discovers peeling an apple can be one of life's simple pleasures. It is on the Taylor front porch where Andy says good bye to his new friend from England, Malcolm Merriweather, and he comes to realize how important it is for people to feel needed and appreciated. It is on the Taylor front porch where Andy and Aunt Bea realize how much they miss Barney Fife as they share a recent letter that they have received from him. It is on the front porch where Andy says those wonderful words, "I guess there is the only one Barney Fife." It is on the Taylor front porch where the Taylors and their friends recall Dr. Breen's words, "What's your hurry?" as they reflect on their failure to organize a band concert for that Sunday night. Unfortunately many front porches have been replaced by brick patios and wooden decks that have been placed behind our homes so we can have our privacy. I grew up in a house that had a front porch that extended the entire length of the house. My family spent countless hours on that porch. However when my mother sold our house many years ago, the first thing the new owners did was to tear down that porch. I guess they never heard about the pleasures of porch sitting on warm summer nights. I hope each of you who had the wonderful opportunity to grow up in a house with a porch will take a few minutes to share some of your special memories. I for one would love to hear them. Kenneth G. Anderson 2906 May Street Eau Claire, Wisconsin 54701 715-839-8470 [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.mayberryreflections.com _______________________________________________ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://mail.wbmutbb.com/mailman/listinfo/wbmutbb_wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
