He went to the end of the bar
to serve another customer
and as ice dropped into a glass,
I heard soft whistling,
the theme of The Andy Griffith Show.
Turns out, the quiet bartender was a fan.
I, a reasonable Star Trekker,
hadn’t imagined that that TV series
would have a fan base, let alone, one with
conventions and costume contests.
He shyly shared a photo of himself,
Barney dressed up for a date with
long-time girlfriend Thelma Lou —
boater hat, striped bow tie,
white and grey speckled suit.
I asked if he could do the voice.
He said, not really, then surprisingly
broke into character and said,
“You have to nip it, Andy.
Nip it in the bud.”
I asked why. He shrugged.
“It was honest, good clean fun,
an innocent small town missing today,
and Barn was like Mayberry,
a character unforgettable.”
