My Childhood is Fadin' Fast

The Professor and Gilligan

I grew up, most definitely, a child of the TV generation. So a lot of my memories are tied to past TV shows.  This week 2 well known characters passed.  I read this morning of the passing of Russell Johnson at age 89.  Better known to most of the world as "The Professor" on "Gilligan's Island".  With his passing, the number of survivors from G.I. is down to two, Dawn (Mary Ann) Wells and Tina Louise (Ginger).  I can honestly say that I saw every episode that ever aired, most more than once.  One of my vivid childhood memories, concerns Gilligan's Island.  To set it up, I was growing up with a black and white TV in my home.  Color TVs and color programs were still a very new thing.  Anyway.... I was in the back seat of the family car and my mother was driving.  We stopped at a red light in front of Spot Cash Furniture, which was located (in the 1960's) at the corner of Lafayette and Washington Streets in Starkville.  I glanced over at the color TVs displayed in their window and then had (what my Mama described as) a "conniption fit" by bouncing up and down and yelling, "Gilligan wears a red shirt! Gilligan wears a red shirt!".  But in my defense, I was a young boy and had never seen the program in color.
Also passing this week, from a program that was popular later in my life, was Dave Madden.  More widely known as Reuben Kincaid, the manager of  "The Partridge Family".  Not only a popular TV show, it produced several albums and chart topping songs in the early 70's.
Now, not particularly a part of my childhood (though for some reason CBS ran the movie once a year for several years during the 60's) was "The Wizard of Oz". This passing just kind of makes you go "Awwww."  Ruth Duccini passed at the age of 95.  Ruth was once of the munchkins we saw when Dorothy arrived in Oz.  With her passing, the number is down to ONE.  Jerry Maren (93) is the last surviving munchkin.
One last thing, Mississippi State was successful in the 2013 Liberty Bowl.  I will admit to being a little worried in the very beginning as Rice scored first and took a 7-0 lead. (But I think they just made the Bulldogs mad.) It was 7-7 at the end of the first quarter, but the rest of the game was pretty much all Dogs.  They pretty much just chewed up the Owls en route to a 44-7 MSU victory.
Everyone have a great day!