Eb Dawson of Green Acres and Eddie Munster were discussing a theodicy and Eb was explaining things quite nicely. As a philosopher, charged to examine life everywhere, I still was not quite ready for A Serious Discussion at a TV Land Convention.
Finally, I worked up the courage to interject and contribute and discovered Tom Lester had read all the relevant popular literature and some more serious scholarly stuff. He made the proper distinctions and counter-punched some of my distinctions. This was a great conversation, he was a distinguished looking gentleman, and quick without being glib.
I realized that this gentleman farmer and speaker was nothing like his television character. I knew this, but was still surprised. My trip to the Convention (Superman cast and Carl Reiner!) was a treat . . .but the most enjoyable moment was talking to Tom Lester. He seemed happy to clown for fans and happier still for some serious apologetics dialog.
As Hope and I left, we reflected on all we had seen at the Convention. There were a few “stars” working the Convention who seemed sad and a bit desperate. There was the brilliant Carl Reiner full of wit, wisdom, and a wag in that day as well as every other. The man who stood out for me was Tom Lester: he was so happy.
Lester did not seem upset that he was mostly remembered for a long ago role and that his acting career had arguably been limited. Instead, he described himself as blessed and seemed that way. His memories of his fellow Green Acres cast members, a show watched by a staggering percentage of the nation every week by today’s standards and still in reruns, were uniformly positive. His anecdotes on the show were highly polished, as befits a convention speaker, but he could answer questions on widely disparate topics. He had kept reading, thinking, and growing.
God help me to do the same.
I have no idea if the Lester I saw that day was as happy as he seemed. He was, after all, an actor working a convention of fans. I know that nobody can fake the level of reading, thought, and interest he showed in a variety of intellectual topics ranging from philosophy to farming. Tom Lester was an interesting man in a convention full of people who had once been famous people.
The disease that took our sainted priest felled Lester this last week and I was reminded of my brief encounter with him. A picture of Tom Lester that he signed for me hangs on our entertainment room wall. He signed it Joshua 1:8-
This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Evidently he meditated, did the best he could, prospered, and now is in the paradise of God. Well done, Tom Lester, you’ve finally made it to the place to be.
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