GOMER PYLE, USMC

I had some Christmas money (yes at 50 years of age I still get some from my 87 year aunt!) to spend so I went to BEST BUYS with a few coupons and picked up the first season of Gomer Pyle, USMC. I remember watching this show every Friday night along with the Addams Family. Mom and Dad got us home just in time usually to rip off our coats and turn on the TV for the opening theme song and credits. I can still see Sgt. Carter yelling at Gomer as he marched with a big smile on his face. More of that in a moment.

Opening a new season set of some old TV Shows now on DVD is like going up in the attic and pulling out things that brought us joy and laughter when were kids. Like the Kellogg's Corn Flakes commercial, "Taste them again for the first time." From Gilligan's Island to M.A.S.H., from Mary Tyler Moore to F- Troop, these were the show us Baby Boomers grew up with! We have the privilege of watching them again now that we know how good they were and are. Buying these classic shows is an investment for me. I can laugh again at some very funny stuff while being given life lessons. I have already shared some with my granddaughter and she loves them- black and white and all! She didn't budge a few weeks ago when we watched the Andy Griffith Christmas episode. I was a little older than she is now when it came out. She was glued to something that has stood the test of time.

I got the last Gomer Pyle, USMC, First Season at Best Buys this morning. When the sales associate (what we used to call a clerk) asked me if I needed help I said, "No, I know exactly what I want!" I picked it up and began to talk to him. It was like he was from another planet. I began to explain how Gomer Pyle got his own show. He didn't know what I was talking about. Then I asked him, "Well, surely you know of Andy Griffith?" He never heard of him. I suddenly felt bad for this young man. He doesn't know what he is missing! Next time I fill out one of surveys on line for my shopping experience at Best Buys I am going to recommend something radical. I am going to suggest that they require all their employees a certain amount homework in the form of DVD viewing of old TV Shows like Andy Griffith and Gomer Pyle, USMC. so they can be "educated" about the customer's needs. I bet it will end up being something these sales associates love and they will be better people for it.

I just put on the first disc of Gomer Pyle and got a wonderful surprise. As Gomer says, "Surprise! Surpise! Surprise! The pilot episode which is really an Andy Griffith Show regular epsiode is included as a bonus. It has Jim Nabors himself telling about it. I am right in the middle of it but wanted to pass on these thoughts while they were fresh on my mind. Okay back to Mayberrry and off to Camp Wilson. Yippee!!! Oh yeah Gomer said to say, "Hey!"