Gayberry, USA

Asheville is a very social town. I'm trying to figure out how it got that way, and if that's typical of smaller towns in the South, or if it's specific to Asheville. I grew up in a small town, and about once a year the townsfolk would come together, smile and nod, then go back to minding their own business for another year. Too many town gatherings usually meant some sort of fight would undoubtedly break out. Or a stoning.

I'm told we arrived in the middle of the busiest social season here, and that things calm down considerably in the winter. I'm starting to understand how we've been to so many fundraisers so far. People here like to drink and socialize and have a good time. At some point, someone must have realized that since people were going to be getting together to do these things anyway, they might as well throw some money in a pot for a good cause.

Last night we went to Downtown After Five, which is a monthly street festival with live music, food and beer. It was packed! But I was heartened to find that we've met enough people now that we see familiar faces everywhere we go. It's such a novelty when you run into someone you know in Los Angeles. Here, we see people we know every day. Too sophisticated to be classified as Mayberry, yet small enough to allow for this kind of social scene, Asheville seems to have the right size, climate and elements to make this sort of interaction possible. Like the planet Earth is uniquely situated to sustain life in the solar system, so is Asheville.

Speaking of Mayberry, I was informed last night that Andy Griffith is gay. This I did not know. Internet research has turned up no hard evidence, only speculation. So I will hold onto my skepticism until Jim Nabors writes a tell-all.