character

  I consider myself fortunate to have been born and raised in a small town. A community of farmers and fishermen. That place is my home and will always remain so. Even though I haven't lived there in over fifty years if asked, where are you from, that will be the answer. Isn't that what we ask? At other times we say, where do you live, a different question entirely. From the outside I have watched as that town changed, the social structure being the biggest change. Outside influences have taken over the political direction. Really it is money and power that precipitated that change. That's true most everywhere and not an isolated thing. The popularity of my town grew as a playground for the rich and with that arrived different attitudes and a different sense of well, sensibilities. Yes, the wealthy and powerful do have a different view of things.

 Looking back, I can compare the decades I lived there to a fictional town, Mayberry. There were many similarities. The stores were like those on that show, the town was like that except we had the ocean and the bay. The Police were our friends and neighbors. We knew them, respected them, and they did so in return. I could ride my bicycle anywhere without worry or concern. I was aware I was being watched, as I knew any adult at any moment could and would correct any wrongdoing on my part. And what was worse, report that behavior to my parents! We addressed any one older than ourselves by ten years or so as Mr., Mrs., or Sir and Ma'am. We wore our good clothes to school and church and changed for work or play. 

 We also had "characters" that lived in the town. In Mayberry you had Otis, the drunk that would place himself in jail. We didn't have an Otis, but we had Moose Brown. I remember him well. Yes, he did like the drink and was often seen in an inebriated state. An alcoholic. Most definitely a classic case of alcoholism. But Moose bothered no one, didn't engage in any outrageous behaviors and generally kept to himself. Oh, he would ask you if you had any spare change, but never more than once. I always happened to have a spare quarter for Moose. There was a man I knew as eel spear. He rode a bicycle, the tires were taped to the rims as they didn't hold air, and he carried an eel spear. He would be going eeling to make a few dollars. That was just one of the many things he did to earn a living. I don't believe he drank though, just didn't have steady employment. 

 And there were a few other "characters" around. Porky, Wimpy and AA. All were accepted for what they were and no one that I was aware of ever tried to intervene. There were no interventions, no getting them help, or any of that. I guess by todays' sentiments we all lacked empathy. I don't see it that way at all. I say we were far more inclusive back then then anyone is today. And that is doubly true of those rich folks that always want to "help" others so they can appear virtuous. We treated those "characters" with respect, at least to their faces we did, and that was sufficient unto the day. It's true that most of those characters were well aware of what was being said behind their backs, they may have been poor, had a drinking problem or whatever, but they weren't stupid. 

 I'd go as far as to say those characters were an integral part of the town. They belonged there as much as anyone else. Maybe their homes weren't all that fancy, maybe their yards were full of junk, perhaps their hygiene left something to be desired, but they all had hearts of gold as far as I could tell. Like the mythical Otis they had troubles and dealt with those problems. Some did so with drink, others did so in other ways. 

 I have watched over the years as the residents of Mayberry sold their homes and moved on. I have seen the children of those residents unable to afford a home there and move on. I've seen Floyd's barber shop disappear, replaced by what I don't know. The 5&10 has been long gone and main street populated by stores I couldn't afford to buy a pair of socks in. I wonder do any characters still live there. I'm thinking the defining of the town characters would be a bit different today. Even Opie has gone woke! I'm thinking the character of the town has changed entirely. It's a shame, but what we call progress.