When you’re full of joy and falling (safely) down the staircase

Had I known that “The Waltons” television series was filmed in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, in the small town of Schuyler, a mere two-hour drive from Radford where I went to college, perhaps I would have become a viewer during its original run on CBS from 1972 to 1981.

But I only discovered the Waltons recently when I stumbled across a few episodes online and became enchanted enough to start watching all the re-runs. 

Even more important to me than the location was the character of John-Boy Walton...