THE QUEEN OF COWGIRLS

I grew up watching a real-life husband-wife duo on black & white television in their portrayal of an old west husband-wife, cowboy-cowgirl duo by the same names. I will always remember my favorite Saturday hero and heroine, and that fast-paced, dramatic ‘shoot ‘em up, save the city from the bad guys’ portrayal.

In actuality, Roy and Dale were wonderful Christian people, and though they owned a western ranch which was populated by horses and cows, to my knowledge they never shot anyone, and their time was more taken up with making movies and their appearances at fund-raising events, than saving the old west from bad guys.

Fast forward several decades

I suppose it was the late 80’s or early 90’s, and my wife and I learned that my favorite western heroine, (minus my favorite western hero) would be speaking at an evangelical church in the central Florida area in which we reside. Of course, I would not be denied.

The day dawned bright and clear, and I was looking forward to sitting in the audience of someone with whom I had devoted so many hours of my childhood; (though my name and face might easily have escaped her).

As Jean and I walked into the large, aluminum conference hall, (for the building doubled as a Christian retreat center and a church) I noticed that the first row, left was almost devoid of people. (What a deal. What a deal). You guessed it. My wife and I headed for the first row, left, and ‘staked our claim;’ (as one of the characters on their old television series might have alluded to it).

Within minutes Mrs. Dale Evans Rogers found her way to the podium, and proceeded to speak. I don’t mind telling you, she just seemed so ‘there there,’ common, and personable in real life, and not at all like the television and movie personality of whom I was so thoroughly familiar. And while I cannot tell you, at this juncture, what topic this good lady spoke to that day, it was a privilege and a pleasure to sit no more than six feet from the cowgirl, who along with her own cowboy, Roy, saved the old west. (At least, as far as I was concerned at the time).

My only regret, (and I cannot account for it) is that I allowed that magic moment to come and go without having spoken to one of my favorite childhood television personalities, and without having procured her autograph.

Dale Evans Rogers has gone on to her reward now, and I am approaching a comparable age to her own; when she spoke to the overflow crowd that day.

Some opportunities present themselves once, and never come again. This was one of those golden opportunities which slipped from my grasp, or I it, and which represents one of my most profound regrets.

by William McDonald, PhD. Excerpt from (Mc)Donald's Daily Diary. Vol. 25. Copyright pending

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