Seating arrangement at the Walton's table

[Easton]

In the earlier seasons when the entire family was sitting at the table, John and Grandpa sat at the ends with Olivia seated on the side to John's right and Grandma on the same side to Grandpa's left. The kids eventually found their 'place' at the table, but the only one I didn't understand was Ben. He was sat on the side to Olivia's right. Eric Scott was left-handed and that would have led to a constant clashing of elbows with Michael.

There were 7 kids in my family (5 boys, 2 girls) and one of my older brothers was also a southpaw. He always sat at the end of the table with the other siblings to his right. That meant that he had plenty of literal elbow room.

Ben should have been sat on the other side of the table at the other end to Grandpa's right. (I think that's where Jason sat.)

Did you have a southpaw in your family? Where did he/she sit at the table?

[Brenda]

Kami had a Facebook post recently about the family seating arrangement at the table and how they chose their places. I don’t think  she mentioned Ben though. She did say sometimes new directors would come in and try to seat them differently, and they would always correct them.

My dad was left handed, but he sat at the head of the table, so it wasn’t an issue because there was no one beside him.

[Easton]

Jan 17, 2021 20:43:58 GMT -5 @journaler said:

That is very observant.  Every member of my family is right handed.  

Not really observant. Just a lot of life experience eating every meal with my older southpaw brother. If he had not been left-handed, I probably wouldn't even have noticed where Ben was sat.

[Johnny]

I'm a southpaw and the youngest in my family. Dad sat at one end, at the head of the table like John Walton & I sat at the opposite end of the table. Being by myself, my arms never collided with any siblings or older family members. When we have family gatherings, my brother's wife & one of his daughters are left handed, so we are often seated next to one another so as not to accidentally bang elbows with the right-handers around the table.

I suppose, since the Waltons didn't actually eat very much during the table scenes except for John, the directors probably didn't feel it necessary to place Eric at the far end of the table.

[JessicaGirlSpy]

Jan 25, 2021 21:39:11 GMT -5 Johnny said:

I'm a southpaw and the youngest in my family. Dad sat at one end, at the head of the table like John Walton & I sat at the opposite end of the table. Being by myself, my arms never collided with any siblings or older family members. When we have family gatherings, my brother's wife & one of his daughters are left handed, so we are often seated next to one another so as not to accidentally bang elbows with the right-handers around the table.

I suppose, since the Waltons didn't actually eat very much during the table scenes except for John, the directors probably didn't feel it necessary to place Eric at the far end of the table.

I'm a southpaw, too!

[jwsgirl0313]

I remember reading somewhere that the actors picked their places for different reasons and that Richard Thomas specifically chose sitting at Grandpa's right so he would be the closest to Will Geer since he admired he greatly.

But being a lefty, I can understand. I've never heard of the term "southpaw" before. Very interesting

[e knight]

Apr 9, 2021 19:43:51 GMT -5 jwsgirl0313 said:

I remember reading somewhere that the actors picked their places for different reasons and that Richard Thomas specifically chose sitting at Grandpa's right so he would be the closest to Will Geer since he admired he greatly.

But being a lefty, I can understand. I've never heard of the term "southpaw" before. Very interesting

Early American baseball stadiums were usually oriented so that the afternoon, setting sun would shine on the fielders rather than the batter. (The idea was that the fielders could adjust, wear sunglasses if necessary, but the batter had it tough. It would be dangerous to face fastballs with blinky eyes.)

So, think of the pitcher, standing on the mound with East at his back and thus facing West. The lefty will be throwing with his Southerly arm, his South Paw.

[Easton]

^ That's the common theory, but it's not quite correct, although it does involve baseball. 'Southpaw' was first used in the mid-1980s (EDIT: I meant to say "mid-1800s") to refer to a left-handed boxer. A few years later, it was used by a sports writer to refer to a left-handed first baseman but it had nothing to do with which direction he was facing or how the field was oriented. It was simply because he was left-handed.

Later, 'southpaw' was used to refer to any player in any position, but the pitcher became the focus and the stadium orientation was born.

Eventually, the term was expanded to refer to any left-handed person.

(By the way, my cat, Samwise, is a true 'southpaw'. She digs food out of the food dish one kibble at a time with her left paw and also digs in the litter with her left paw. Her mother, Boots, is right-pawed.)

[e knight]

Apr 14, 2021 9:01:20 GMT -5 Easton said:

^ That's the common theory, but it's not quite correct, although it does involve baseball. 'Southpaw' was first used in the mid-1980s to refer to a left-handed boxer. A few years later, it was used by a sports writer to refer to a left-handed first baseman but it had nothing to do with which direction he was facing or how the field was oriented. It was simply because he was left-handed.

...

That's a possibility, though I suspect that you meant to write "mid-1890s" or "mid-1880s"!

[Easton]

Actually, I was going for '1800s'. I'll correct it, but leave in the goof so these posts make sense.

Good catch.

[e knight]

Now, that's going back some. Generally, boxers didn't even wear gloves until the 1890s ... nor did baseball players for that matter.

[Easton]

^ It's an interesting and curious history, but I love learning the etymology of words and phrases. I find it fascinating how a single comment in one sport led to a comment in a different sport and then to an entire created and commonly accepted 'romantic' version.

Your comment about the gloves is equally interesting. Boxing gloves came about because bones and faces were being broken and competitors were dying. (It still happens, but not as often.) And changes in sports and equipment is still an ongoing process. Just look at how long it has taken to accept concussions and brain damage to American football.

This is getting away from Eric Scott being left-handed, but it's just as interesting to me to wonder why Eric didn't choose to sit at the end of the table as it is to learn why he would be called a southpaw.

[jason88cubss]

in the very early episodes didnt Olivia sit to the left of John?