Alison Garwood Jones

“But first, the Tranya …”

Now that I’ve got your attention, I want to recommend a book that will lighten the load and boost your spirits.

“The Boys” is a memoir by brothers Ron and Clint Howard, two showbiz kids with a remarkably grounded appreciation for life. This is a love story that looks back on the formative influence of their parents, Rance and Jean, two Midwesterners who moved to California as newlyweds to pursue their own acting dreams.

But mum and dad had to put their egos aside when their little boys stole the spotlight. First Ronny as Opie in The Andy Griffith Show, then Clint as Mark in Gentle Ben. Clint’s single appearance in Star Trek as seven-year-old Commander Balok, relisher of the Tranya (pink grapefruit juice), is unforgettably weird and wonderful. YouTube it.

Instead of being stage parents, Jean held down the fort while Rance continued to be a dedicated actor (of bit parts), screenwriter, and life coach to his boys. Somehow, he found a way to be risk-taking in his art and principled in life. It inspired Ron to direct movies about astronauts, race car drivers, flawed geniuses, and mermaids, while it gave Clint permission to lean into his crooked teeth and squinty eyes. With an evil “Ha-ha-ha-ha!” Clint became one of Hollywood’s most sought-after character actors.

The Boys shows us that life is an unpredictable zigzag with no guarantees. But let that shape you, rather than getting the better of you. Thanks, boys.

Five out of five.