BACK IN THE SOUTHFORK SADDLE!

Some of my best friends were starting to wonder if I had slipped out of myself the past few weeks. I’ll be the first to admit that I have had some mood swings the last few years, but some people have been very concerned since June 13.

That was the day that TNT premiered the new ‘Dallas.’ Of course, I need not remind you about the legendary CBS series, which ran for fourteen seasons before ending back in 1991. I was very excited about the fact that TNT was going to bring the series back. And, I was excited beyond measure when I got to interview Linda Gray and Josh Henderson during their visit to Music City last month during the CMA Music Festival. But, somewhere after the first episode, I kind of got lost just a little bit.

For starters, life is a little bit more involved than it was back during the 80s. I was a little bit younger after all, and knew not what a deadline was. Two, the show is on Wednesday night, and I have been trying to make more of a commitment to Church on that night. And, the best way for me to watch the show is by buying it on iTunes the day after it runs, so I have to admit it hasn’t been as much of a priority as it was, say in 1987.

Also, the show moves fast – lightning speed, actually. They only filmed ten episodes this season, so you have to hang on tight. For a few episodes, it seemed that every character was out to put it to each other, which wasn’t too terribly different from the glory days of the original. Larry Hagman was getting some great lines, and Henderson found his way as John Ross, but it just seemed like there was no rhyme or reason. J.R., though known as the man viewers loved to hate, had always been a sympathetic character to me for a lot of reasons. No matter what he did, you felt he was doing so out of (maybe a sometimes misguided, but still) love of family. That hadn’t been there.

But, last week’s episode changed most of that. The Ewings bonded together against a common enemy, which was always the show’s strength. They could fight with each other brilliantly, but go after any one of them...and beware of the whole brood. Bobby – now the emotional patriarch of the family, came to the defense of nephew John Ross – who has spent the first seven episodes battling, and stood up to evil businessman Vincente – who has made life rough on the Ewings as of late.

There’s just two more episodes before the show takes a hiatus. Of course, the season finale was always a benchmark of the original, and it’s going to be tough to top. However, there looks to be plenty of emotion. Bobby has been fighting a possibly fatal disease this season, and it looks like he and J.R are going to have some very emotional moments in the final two episodes this season. I have a feeling that I am going to be on the edge of my seat for these episodes.

Overall, I would say the series deserves a B-minus for the first season. Of the original characters, Hagman and Ken Kercheval (Cliff Barnes) don’t seem to have missed a beat, Duffy had a slow start, but has gotten more interesting, and Sue Ellen is just kind of there – but I have a feeling that will change in season two. Of the newcomers, Josh Henderson is the star. He makes the John Ross character vulnerable enough that you have to like him – just like Larry Hagman did with J.R. I also like the character of Harris, the ex-husband of Ann, Bobby’s wife (need a scorecard?) He’s not a nice guy at all, and he’s actually kind of creepy – but Mitch Pileggi, the actor who plays him, makes the character one that you have to snicker at. Will this ‘Dallas’ last fourteen seasons? Who knows, but I’ve got to say that I am starting to get impressed with what I am seeing....just don’t tell me what happens until Thursday afternoon. Thank God for iTunes!

TOMATO OR NO TOMATO, THAT IS THE QUESTION!

Have you ever had one of those days where you just got so busy That you forgot to pull aside and do the little things – like eat? LOL...That happened to me today. Had the usual schedule, a couple of interviews and work-related things, and about 4pm, it dawned on me. I hadn’t eaten yet, and I was feeling it.

As it turned out, I just happened to be within a few miles of a Nashville landmark – the Loveless Cafe. So, I pulled in to regain my state of mind. I was sitting at my table, and a woman was talking to her children about some of the food on their menu when her daughter asked her a question, “Mama, what do fried green tomatoes taste like?” The mother replied, “Oh, honey, they are the most delicious things you have ever eaten,” she said.

You know, to that woman, she may have been telling the truth. But, my thought at the time was ‘Why does a mother lie to her child like that?’ Ok, to each his own, I know. But, one of the biggest traditions in the south is slicing a tomato, putting salt on it, and telling everyone how good it is. Really?

Somewhere in the Bible, I think there is an explanation about tomatoes. “And the Lord said, thou cut up the tomato in 4,040 pieces (40 is a big number in the Bible, after all), and put in Chili. The other way you should consume a tomato is on a Cheeseburger – provided you have it buried under all the other toppings.”

Am I being a little harsh? Alas, maybe. There may be something enjoyable about tomatoes by themselves. I am still trying to search for that answer. If you like the vegetable, I humbly apologize. But, yuck! Chili would not be chili without tomatoes, though cheeseburgers would still have their shine. Now, I guess a BLT would only be 1/3 as good, but a BT would probably settle a little easier on my stomach.

Well, that so ends my tirade on tomatoes. I have nothing against tomato eaters. We all have our crosses to bear, I guess. Hey, give me credit.....this blog was meant to make you chuckle, laugh, or think I’m crazy....rather than be anything heavy. And, that was (and is) the goal!

HARD ONE TO WRITE

Greetings from Oklahoma! I have had a wonderful holiday here covering the Oil Patch Festival in Drumright. Thanks to Myrna and Rick Sellers and Clif Doyal for having me out here. I may never eat again!

I wanted to also say thanks for the comments regarding Tuesday’s blog concerning the passing of Andy Griffith. I think – more than any other entertainment figure – he was one that transcended cultural lines.

Today, I am going to write about something a little more personal than you might be used to, and truth be told – you might have better things to read today than what I am about to write. But, in talking with some friends of mine, I decided to put these thoughts to paper – or online. Who knows, it might help to type it down – and it might help someone out there to not go down the same path.

As many of you know, I have underwent some life changes over the past….thirty-eight years. I say it like that because from the moment we are born – life is an ever constant world of change. Though I tend to dwell on the past two or three years, change has swirled since the evening of February 17, 1974. And, it will swirl until there’s a date after the dash.

That being said, right now, I am in a place that is a little bit scary and different for me. I never intended to be starting over in life at 38. But, as Forrest Gump – that wise old philosopher once said – “It happens.” That trek in life includes a battle with depression. (I know – we all have been there at some point or another, and I’m not truly comfortable writing about this – but I was told I might feel better after writing this….so here goes!)

We all have self-esteem issues. I can’t pinpoint when mine started. But, I do know when I started to feel different as a human being. It was my eighth grade year in school. I had just started attending Dickson Junior High, and it seemed that a few weeks into that year – everyone’s attention was focused on who their date was for the annual Dickson County Fair. I didn’t have one. What’s worse was I got turned down when I asked somebody. This may really sound stupid or trite to some, as we all get turned down for something at one point of another, but that was one of those moments that shaped me.

I began to judge myself and self-basis on whether I was dating anyone or not. LOL…Which meant in school, I was pretty much non-existent because I didn’t date until after graduating. I could have asked someone, but get turned down again? Not on your life!

I would love to tell you that my self-esteem issues ended when I reached my twenties. Wrong. I still judged my sense of being on whether I was with anyone or not. If I was, life was ok. If I wasn’t, I was not. Looking back, that wrong decision has affected my life in so many ways.

For starters, I find that I never really started to develop my personality as a human being until the past ten years or so. As a result of feeling rejected or the fear of rejection, I backed away from getting to know people. Some might have even looked at me as a snob – I don’t know. Truth is, I was (and still am, around people I don’t know) painfully shy. The moment you might think I was a little bit different is when I would have shrunk back into my little hole. I see where that was wrong.

Once I did begin to date, well, let’s just say I was twenty-one going on sixteen. I didn’t have the experience of relating to someone else so I made some mistakes. Some I don’t regret…and maybe a couple I do…

But, the past is the past, right? Well, that’s what I keep telling myself. At 38, I have finally realized that it’s ok to be….alone. Now, understand, I don’t like it that way. But, there’s a saying that nobody can love you if you don’t love yourself. Have I spent years running from that one. If you are reading this and you think differently – think again, please. You will save yourself a lot of bad decisions and heartache. Work on YOU. It’s easier doing it now….than later.

At this point in my life, I am trying to pick up the pieces of not doing this earlier. I am trying to get more involved in Church and other activities – not because I am the son of Charles and Paulette Dauphin, and that’s what I do – but rather, that’s where I need to be. I am trying to be a little more assertive and confident in my career, and that has paid off more than I can tell you. At times, my career has been a cocoon for me. If something wasn’t going right in life or a relationship, instead of standing up for what I might have felt was right – I shifted my energies to what I knew I could do – an interview, an article, a football game. I’m not saying I was wrong or right, because sometimes that was the best thing to do. But, looking back, might there have been times where that was a mistake? Maybe.

I hope this blog post doesn’t come across as arrogant as I think it might. We all go through valleys – emotionally, spiritually, or financially. I am no different than anyone else, and I guarantee you that someone will read this who has it a lot worse than I do. I have family, friends, two Church homes that I love and appreciate very much, and a career that I thank God for every day. Chuck Dauphin has it pretty good right now, overall. But, I am working on each of those three areas. Some are a little easier than others, but I pray I get there.

So, in closing….(which you are probably grateful for), let me just say to take time for you. Learn to be still….even if life and others make you feel that you need to be a certain way – and let me say that I am not putting my mistakes in life off on anyone but myself – but nobody knows YOU better than YOU. Never be ashamed or think lower of yourself because you might not be where you think you want to be.

OK, that’s enough of the self-examination. This is Chuck Dauphin – signing off from the windy state known as Oklahoma – alone (for now) and ok with it – for today!

ANDY GRIFFITH, WHAT WAS YOUR HURRY?

I am writing this from a hotel room in Oklahoma, as I am on assignment for work this week. I flew out of Nashville this morning, and when the plane landed in Denver about 9 today, I immediately checked my cell phone for email as well as the latest news. I saw the headline "Andy Griffith Dies At 86." I was saddened, but I guess it was one of those obituaries that you know is going to come at some point. After all, most of the other cast members of the show have passed, so it wasn't the world's biggest shock. But, suddenly, the world felt a little different.

Since October 3, 1960 - "The Andy Griffith Show" has become one of America's most enduring and beloved TV series. There was something about that mythical town of Mayberry that no matter what was wrong in the world - everything was as simple as Goober airing up the tires, or going over to Mt. Pilot for the blue plate special, and hoping you would run into the "Fun Girls." I think we all have seen each of the 249 episodes time in and time out. What was your favorite? I'll tell you mine in a minute!

I immediately began to think about Andy Griffith the actor. There were so many sides to him other than Andy Taylor. If you ever saw him opposite Patricia Neal in 1957's "A Face In The Crowd," I think you would stand amazed at his skills. He was nothing like the easy going Andy on TAGS, nothing at all. He was vicious, cold, and downright cruel - and excellent at it. Ditto that for 1983's "Murder In Coweta County," where he gave a chilling portrayal of Georgia tycoon John Wallace, who killed one of his employees on his farm. Truth be told, I don't know if I ever saw a Griffith performance any stronger than either one of these. He also was superb in Billy Bob Thornton's "Daddy And Them," which may not be for everybody - but he was over the top in it. 

Then, there is the legacy of Mayberry. Think about this, folks. There have been Churches that use the morals of the plotlines in the show for their lessons. You can't say that about any other fictitious series. I am going to one of those Churches right now, and I can't wait to see these lessons at work. That, my friends, is leaving a mark. 

Ok, my favorite episode. Do you remember "Man In A Hurry." A man ends up stranded in Mayberry, and the slow pace of the town makes him madder and madder for a while - until he ends up charmed like the rest of us. I guess today we might be asking Andy Griffith what his hurry was. However, 86 years is nothing to sneeze at. And, I can imagine there's a fishing tournament at Myers Lake this weekend....and Aunt Bee is cooking something really good....and Barney is on the phone to Juanita singing right about now...I have a feeling that someone is about to join in....Yes, Andy Griffith may be gone, but I can imagine the heavens sound full!