George Bailey and "Hubcaps Lesh"

For those of you like me who grew up watching "It's a Wonderful Life" every Christmas and "The Andy Griffith Show" every weeknight, you understand the character conflict between George Bailey and Miss Lesh. George was a good and wholesome guy with big dreams and strong convictions. He was devoted to his family, his father's business, and the whole town for that matter. His desire to succeed in life, make money, and see the world was always subservient to his morals and his relationships with people. Miss Lesh, on the other hand, was a scheming crook who tried to lure gullible country folk like Barney Fife into shady business deals using her "sweet old lady" appeal. I've found that for as many George Bailey's as there are in the world, there are ten times more Miss Lesh's.

In the words of Jack Johnson, "Where'd all the good people go?"

I'm pretty sick and tired of all the Hubcaps in the world who don't care about people and values and would rather make a buck at your expense than cook you a meal. But when it comes right down to it, what can we expect from people who suscribe to their own value system? Mayberry wasn't just a town where people were nice to each other because it was popular or got you something in return. They went to church. They were Christians who lived for something greater than themselves. Their respect and politeness and common courtesy and generosity and decent living were merely products of their deeply rooted faith.