When a young boy finds himself in the middle of making a huge decision, a man asked that little boy’s father, “why not let Junior decide?”

 

Lessons From Mayberry

Wisely this southern father replied, “it doesn’t work that way. You can’t let a youngin’ decide for himself. He will grab at the first flashing thing with shiny ribbons on it. When he finds there’s a hook in it, it’s too late. Wrong ideas come packaged with so much glitter that it’s hard to convince him that other decisions may be better in the long run. All a parent can do is to say wait, trust me, and keep temptation away.”

That little boy was a fictional character named Opie. His wise fictional father was Andy Taylor. But Andy’s counsel was anything but fiction.

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