Tag: oglethorpe georgia

Mayberry in minutes: A quick visit to Andyland

Chris Johnson | Posted on October 9, 2024 |

MOUNT AIRY, N.C. — A recent work trip to southwest Virginia took me up Interstate 77 through some beautiful portions of the North Carolina mountains — a couple of weeks before there was such a thing as Hurricane Helene. One of the places just off of I-77 required a pit stop — Mount Airy, N.C., home of Andy Griffith and the small town upon which the fictional Mayberry was based on “The Andy Griffith Show,” a staple of both my childhood and adult years. While my heart aches for those who have been impacted by Helene, it was a beautiful […]

I like my small towns more Mayberry and less Jason Aldean-y

Chris Johnson | Posted on July 25, 2023 |

Dear Jason Aldean, I’m from a small town — an actual small town. I grew up in Oglethorpe, Georgia with a population of 1,000 people and 1 traffic light. I’ve been to your hometown of Macon, Georgia just up the road from my home here in Perry, Georgia. There is much I like about Macon, despite its crime issues. There are some great restaurants like the Fish n Pig, The Rookery, Famous Mike’s and Kudzu Seafood Company. Your town’s contributions to the music world are legendary — including Otis Redding, Little Richard and the Allman Brothers. I’ve enjoyed watching the […]

Be nice to those grocery store workers!

Chris Johnson | Posted on March 23, 2023 |

My first real job was in 1986 at the C-Mart, an IGA grocery store in Oglethorpe, Georgia. I was paid $3.25 an hour — which seemed like a pretty decent wage when I typed that until I realized that I forgot to hold the shift key while trying to get that $ symbol, meaning that for a moment I was making a respectable 43.25. Actually, 43.25 an hour would have been more fair because to this day that’s probably the toughest job I’ve ever had. Fortunately, I was able to bridge the gap between the legal minimum wage in 1986 […]