Ever hear of Ken Osmond? Edie Haskell on 1950’s show, “Leave it to Beaver.” I used to watch it in re-runs. The character Eddie, Wally Cleaver’s best friend, was known for turning on the charm when adults were around. I love this description: “[Eddie] boasted a perfectly groomed appearance and falsely polite demeanor, which successfully concealed his sneaky character.” I know a few Eddie Haskells.
What I like about Ken Osmond… we hear about child stars that fall apart, never able to get past early success that pegs them for life… but life moves forward, life events ~ child to youth, youth to young adult, single to married, middle years and on and on…. Sometimes change comes instantly because of sudden loss. What I like about Ken Osmond… for years the public had no idea what happened to him. There were rumors: he went into the porn industry; he died in Vietnam. The truth: He became a police officer in L.A. and serving 18 years before retiring in 1988 after being shot 3 times by a car thief he was chasing. Ken Osmond’s life ~ whole new chapters to admire…