by Gery L. Deer
When I was a kid, three things helped me weather tough times: my books, my piano, and television. As we grow, life affords us less and less free time and, of my three distractions, TV often wins out. But I find that I don’t turn on modern television very often, choosing instead one of any number of classic programs, many of which have been on the air for more than half a century.
As it is for so many others, TV offers me an escape from the day-to-day grind. For me, those old shows are equal to what some people would call, comfort food. The familiar characters and, sometimes, impossible situations gave me a way to forget the difficulties of my world.
And even the actors of that time left a lifelong impression on me. I could be totally wrong, but I think they cared more about their craft in those days and what audiences thought of them.