Tomorrow

IMDb

 

With school out, I have been watching reruns of The Andy Griffith show which run back-to-back on Sundance for a few hours in the morning.  It is a good pastime over a first cup of coffee and perusing the newspaper.  It was a great show and rewatching it took me back to my childhood when life was simpler and more wholesome.  Of course, life was simpler and more wholesome, I was 9 years old.

One particular episode perked my interest in a ‘there’s a blog post in it way.’  The episode,“Opie’s Hobo Friend,” first aired on November 13, 1961.  The guest star was Buddy Ebson.  He portrayed the hobo in question by David Browne.  The way he was dressed and acted was, as if, this were a trial run for the Jed Clampett role Ebson would make famous in The Beverly Hillbillies which debuted one year later in 1962. 

Ebson’s hobo, David, was a loveable character who moved around and lived off of fishing and stealing a stray chicken here or there or occasional pie off of a window shelf (did people really cool pies on windowsills or was that a creation of Hollywood?).  Barney, needless to say, suspected David of being a vagrant and quite possibly the head of a major crime racket.  Andy, on the other hand, saw the hobo for what he was, mostly harmless. 

Andy’s son, Opie, was impressed by the hobo’s sleight of hand magic and laid back, no responsibility, lifestyle.  Opie, fascinated with David, wanted to help him with this work.  David was not quite ready to begin the task.  So, when Opie wanted to get going on the hedges and urged David to do just that, David gave this gem of a speech on his approach to life and work to Opie.  I loved this little soliloquy so much, I used the remote to play it over and over again so I type it up.

Never start a job without thoroughly talking it out.  Never skimp on the discussion stage. That’s what separates man from the apes… We’ll start first thing tomorrow… The most perfect day to start any job:  tomorrow.  It is the most marvelous day ever invented.  There is absolutely nothing a man can’t do, tomorrow. 

This is basically the procrastinators manifesto.  It sums it up like only a like only a Hollywood screen writer could phrase it and delivered with the folksy eloquence from a talented actor like Ebson.

This concept of tomorrow is central to the procrastinator’s mindset and lifestyle.  It is the very core axiom, the fundamental tenet, the very cornerstone on which this lifestyle is built.  The world class procrastinators, the masters delay, are forever having this inner dialogue which I present here:

I’ll start tomorrow.  I’ll give it the big hit tomorrow.  I’ll be full of energy and start bright and early… tomorrow.  The dawn of a new day will be my rebirth.  I will forever change and accomplish everything I have ever wanted to do.

The problem with procrastination is that it is always today, and tomorrow is a beacon of light hope that keeps us dreaming.

 

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Here are excerpts from the song Tomorrow from the Broadway musical Annie.

 

Just thinkin' about

Tomorrow

Clears away the cobwebs

 

The sun'll come out

Tomorrow

So ya gotta hang on

'Til tomorrow…

 

Tomorrow, tomorrow

I love ya tomorrow

You're always, a day away

 

Source: Musixmatch.com

Songwriters: Martin Charnin / Charles Strouse

Tomorrow lyrics © Edwin H. Morris & Co. Inc., Morris-edwin-h-co Inc., Charles Strouse Publishing