For most of the seventies and early eighties, families gathered around the television set and heard the instrumental theme song for The Walton's. It was a time to sit back, relax and enjoy the mischief the Walton children would encounter, the wisdom Grandpa & Grandma would share, and the continuous fretting from Ma & Pa to pay the bills, during the Great Depression.
As a child, I watched the show and envied how much fun the children always had playing together. As an adult, I reflect on how some things haven't changed very much. When it's family- you are going to fight with your siblings, mom & dad will always worry about paying the bills, and grandma & grandpa will always make you feel better; with words of wisdom or a chocolate chip cookie.
I guess The Walton's is still a popular television show, because some things have changed. A country where many children spend more time at daycare or 'enrichment activities' then home, a house has become a status symbol and your zip code decides your 'place' in society, and marriages are said with an 'I do' and a prenuptial agreement. I never recall Mrs. Walton forgetting she had a child and left Ike Godsey's Mercantile without Elizabeth, or Mr. Walton blaming the teacher for Jim Bob day-dreaming in school because he wasn't challenged enough.
Were things perfect back then? No. Are things perfect now? No. What makes the Walton family still popular today? They argue, celebrate, cry, worry, persevere, question, wonder, fail and succeed- TOGETHER.
'A family is only as strong as its commitment to togetherness.' Wes Fessler
I think seeing how the Walton family came through their crises is part of the charm of the series. Loved it.
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