Modern Mother Goose-On The Loose (Barnabas Collins)

There was a time when we couldn’t wait to get home from school. Of course, we were not unusual, for all children yearn for that moment, but this was for a special occasion. Dark Shadows would come on about that time. To miss it, well, would be bad. No goofing around, on the walk home from school, but a mad dash.

A soap opera for teens, it what it was. Day to day, week to week, and on Fridays we would be left hanging. We’d have to wait the whole weekend, to see what would happen next.

Barnabas Collins was the vampire that we all loved. In normal circumstances, we might be afraid, but we would all root for Barnabas. The idea of him being found out, could not happen. We waited for him to leave his coffin, so that we could watch him walk among the living, until the sun came up.

I hadn’t thought about Dark Shadows in a long time. Years ago, I re-watched and enjoyed it. There are some things that just stick with you. The recent passing of  Jonathan Frid, brought the flood of memories back. Gee, he was 87 years old. I can still see him roaming around Colinswood. In the show he lived there a long time ago, came back, and to his fans, he is still there.

There have been vampires before Barnabas, and plenty of them after, but, he is the one that I fondly remember. The cape the cane, the picture of the “ancestor” on the wall. A time when all things could not be explained, and we loved them anyway.

Mystery, was the key word, which also reminds me of Alfred Hitchcock. Of course, that would be another story. I saw the picture of Sir Anthony Hopkins, who will be playing the master of suspense. I’m just like that kid that cannot wait to get home from school, except this time it will be after work. My seat at the theater is already reserved. Just have to dig up the patience, to wait, until the movie is released.

It looks like no matter how old we get, it is always a wonder to have something to look forward to. “Good Evening”, has just been added to the list.

“A fond farewell to bid-

To our favorite vampire, Barnabas Collins aka Jonathan Frid.”

-2012-