It can sometimes be difficult to truly understand that you've got something good. Unfortunately, it takes losing that thing to truly understand its importance.

While today, Ralph Waite is known as John Walton of The Waltons, way back when the series first began, the actor had no interest in pursuing a television career.

According to an interview with The Tampa Tribune, Waite, originally a New York actor, didn't have much faith in the series itself. In fact, Waite explained that it was precisely that supposed lack of longevity that drew him to star in The Waltons in the first place.

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"I never expected the show to last, didn't want the show to last," said Waite. "I was a New York stage actor who had flown to Carmel, Calif., to visit my two daughters - who were living there with my ex-wife. My agent urged me to stay on the West Coast and pick up some extra money to take back to New York. He had an offer, he said, for me to be part of a cast of a Waltons series he was sure wouldn't last thirteen weeks."

Of course, Waite and his agent were wrong, though the actor was certainly grateful for the mistake. Still, after many years on the show, Waite announced that he believed it was high time the curtains closed on the Walton family. This was especially true after the departure of Richard Thomas, who played John-Boy. But this belief wasn't created out of a lack of love for The Waltons. Waite simply understood that to love something properly, one needs to know when to say goodbye.

"It's still a question mark as to how the public will respond to Richard Thomas leaving the series at the end of this season," said Waite. "And even if ratings do hold up once John Boy is gone, well, I frankly don't know if I feel the series should continue much longer. I'm getting anxious to go on to other things myself. An actor gets stale if he stays where it's safe."