A Walton Heart
Welcome to my blog discussing all things Walton, reflecting upon the 1970’s TV drama about a multigenerational Virginia family struggling through the Great Depression and World War II. Demographically, I’m as distant from the Waltons as Pluto is from Mercury. While the Waltons portray a large, Baptist, Caucasian American family from the Greatest Generation, I’m on the other end of the spectrum. I’m single, Unitarian Universalist (raised Hindu), Indian American and from Generation X . Yet, both the Waltons and I revolve around the same sun, sharing a common humanity and facing similar universal challenges.
In my life, I’ve figuratively journeyed through Walton’s Mountain three times. I first began watching it (via reruns) in 1981, when I was 10-years-old. At the time, I saw the show from a child’s point of view and related mostly to the youngest daughter, Elizabeth (Kami Cotler). I also idolized Mary Ellen (Judy Norton), who grew from 13 to about 24 during the 9-season run. Standing at the cusp of my teenage years, Mary Ellen led my path toward adulthood. To this day, Mary Ellen is one of my favorite characters.
About a year after I first feasted my eyes on the Blueridge Mountain family, my local television station stopped airing the show. Yet, the Waltons stayed close to my heart through adolescence. As I faced bullying, rejection, peer pressure or family conflicts, I thought of the Waltons. They kept me warm and safe amidst a cold and windy world.
The Waltons faded into distant memory as I entered high school and college. Now in my 20’s, I grappled with “real life” adult problems like car repairs and dishonest friendships. Then one day, serendipity reunited me and the Waltons. I was waiting at the car shop when an image of middle daughter Erin (Mary Elizabeth McDonough) flashed upon the TV screen. In the scene, Erin was burning letters after being jilted by beau Ashley Longworth Jr. (Jonathan Frakes) while Mama Olivia (Michael Learned) comforted her. Having been jilted myself, the dialogue mesmerized me. It was as if Mama Olivia vicariously comforted me too. Instantly, nostalgia uplifted me from apathy. The Waltons came to me when I needed them the most.
Soon afterwards, I visited them through three reunions movies that aired in the 1990’s. By then, my own dramas kept me entertained and I was too focused on profiting from the dot-com boom. As such, I didn’t care to set my VCR to record the show while I was conquering the world.
But kindred spirits rarely stay apart for long. As my 40’s arrived, I entered midlife crisis, when the Waltons rescued me once again. By providence, my schedule synchronized with INSP’s lineup and I indulged in a daily dose of “Goodnight John-Boy.” Since three decades had passed, age and experience gave me a new prism from which I viewed the show. Naturally, I better understood the adult themes (like when Jim Bob says he “has to” marry Kathy in Season 9’s “The Pursuit”). While I still liked Mary Ellen, I looked up to Grandpa and yearned for his wisdom. On a deeper level, I empathized with the family’s skimping and scraping during economic woes. In my own life, I had moved to Virginia and found affinity with the places mentioned on the show: Route 29, Culpepper and Richmond. Though my life had taken me light years away from the world of John-Boy (Richard Thomas), the family’s love and affection embraced me. They are my heart and soul.
Ten years later, COVID has struck the world and I am living overseas. Pandemic-related restrictions have not only kept me indoors but travel restrictions have delayed my annual visits home to Virginia. That led to me watching Judy Norton’s YouTube “Behind the Scenes” series, <https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFmdAT3ke2B_-KxMpDHjJAg/about>. Soon, I invested in purchasing the series on YouTube. Unlike watching it on TV, having your collection allows you to rewind, fast-forward and re-watch parts. I’m able to soak in the Waltons, slowly and mindfully, any time of the day.
As I surround myself in the Waltons bubble, I’m eager to share my thoughts, opinions and contemplations with other Walton fans. Won’t you join me in this lovefest through “A Walton Heart”?
Please leave a comment on what The Waltons means to you.
-Bo Rani, the one with the Walton heart.
#TheWaltons
