I think I must be a real life ‘Forrest Gump,’ or the closest thing to it.
I mean, really. At least in relation to
…the series of strange, and famous liaisons which began in the late
60’s, and stretched over the course of the next several decades. Well,
to use the word ‘liaison’ may be too strong an implication, since most
of the series of events were not exactly planned.
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 proceed 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 ten 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. 19. Copyright pending
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