Back in the olden days, we gathered around the TV when “The Waltons” came on and we all watched it together. It was one of my favorite shows, and after some time went by, we all grew very attached to the characters. They became very real, and we grieved when Grandpa died.

The plots didn’t rely on car chases or shootouts to keep the audience interested. It was all about the relationships between people. They were kind to each other. They made allowances for the quirks and oddities of others and expected people to do the right thing. It gave us hope.

There was no whining in Walton’s Mountain. They accepted the economic limitations of their circumstances and learned that there are consequences for bad behavior.

The children were not the bratty, smart-mouthed children who appear all too often on modern

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