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Election Day means the end of the debate for a couple of men I respect very much. Unfortunately, neither of them was on the ballot.

To be sure, though, their views are aligned generally with those of Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, which is to say the bubbles they filled almost certainly weren’t on the same side of the ballot.

It’s understandable, really. One of them has worked in the auto industry, and the other is a Marine.

The heart-stopping sounds that raise us from deep sleeps and catapult us into an adrenaline-infused tidal wave of fear now have a new coconspirator.

You know that remorse that automatically overwhelms you when you hear a telephone ringing in the middle of the night or a text message beeping on your cellular telephone while you are aslumber. Each of us to is ingrained to believe that no good news ever arrives during those hours. Our personal histories stand testament to that.

Dear Savannah:

Wow, big day today. Little emotional around the house. Lots of lumps in throats, nervous smiles and anxious rushing around.

You probably think the first day of kindergarten is all about you, but, well, it’s not. It’s all about everything.

Because just like when your older brothers and sisters took this first small step on a seemingly endless walk along the path to education, it is overwhelming for those of us who love you and want that walk to be nothing but a dance through a rose garden.

In the eight awful days since God summoned angel Andy Griffith to the top of Mount Pilot and told him his baritone was needed among the heavenly hosts, I have read perhaps 10,000 words, watched about six hours of episodes, introduced a neophyte to What It Was Was Football and immersed in countless Internet comments about how this sole and soulful if sadly unacclaimed actor possibly could have risen to be an icon for two generations.