Michael Landon

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When I first did this entry, it was originally a survey that I didn't want to do, because most of the questions were quite depressing... Little did I know that something that I didn't want to do would allow me the priviledge of being featured on Landon Legacy, because Michael Landon's daughter is looking for stories about her father...

 

26.  Did you have a crush on any famous person as a kid? Yes.

27.  Who was it? Michael Landon.

I was about seven or eight years old. I started earning a paycheck when I was six years old, working in the cotton fields. When I found out that all of the people of the Ponderosa were coming to the Live Stock show, I was so excited, because I thought that I might be able to get a glimpse of Little Joe. I gathered all of my coins and saved all of my money, carefully counting the coins over and over to make sure that I had enough money for the ticket to go see them. 

   Finally, the day came. I had all of my coins together. I put on my little cowgirl outfit and went with my family to the Livestock Show, but I never said a word about my plans to anyone.

Mother asked us which ride we wanted to go on first. My aunt, my brother and my cousin were very excited. They wanted to go on the rides and get their foot-long hot dog, etc, but when mother asked me, I told her that I wanted to go to the Rodeo to see the people from Bonanza. I took out my money to show her that I had enough to buy the ticket. I didn't dare tell her that I wanted to see Little Joe, because she didn't like for us to talk about anyone of the opposite sex. 

I was surprised that she allowed me to go! I think it was because I showed her that it wouldn't cost her a thing. I think the ticket man was surprised, too, because I paid him in coins instead of dollars. He didn't even notice that I went in totally unsupervised. 

I sat in front of some grown ups and one of them spilled their drink all over my back and down the back of my pants. It was a cold night, but I didn't care that I was wet. If I got to see him, it would have been worth all the sacrifice of giving all of my money away to the ticket master and of getting wet by adults who couldn't hold on to a soft drink!

  Suddenly, there they were! All the people of the Ponderosa were taking turns talking to the crowd. Hoss and Little Joe had the whole crowd laughing. I loved his laugh! The sound of his laugh still rings in my ears.

I just wish I had heard what they were saying. Lorne Greene and Adam seemed to be have captured the crowd, too.  The only thing is that they were all facing the other way! All I saw from where I was sitting was their backs, and once in awhile, they would turn sideways. I prayed to God that they would finish their speeches by coming over to the side where I was sitting, but they didn't.

Then, it happened. Little Joe and Hoss got on their horses and started riding around the fence. Hoss shook a few hands, but he remained on the other side where they did the speeches, and then, he was done... but Little Joe kept riding his horse. Would he make it to where I was or would he stop like Hoss did?

The crowd got up and went to the fence. I was so little. I was afraid that I would miss him. Everybody was crowding in, pushing and shoving. Finally, I managed to wiggle my way through the crowd until I was in front of the fence. I just stood there, praying that he would come to where I was or at least close enough so that I could see him. 

He was approaching on his horse, but he was still so far away. Would he make his way all the way around the fence? My heart was pounding so hard. It was as if it was following the same beat as the hoofs of the horse. He didn't stop and he didn't go back. He kept on coming, shaking some of the people's hands along the way.

   When I saw him, I couldn't believe it. He was so handsome and so gallant on his horse. "Oh, God," I thought to myself, "he is just as handsome as he is on TV!" I was so happy that he was wearing the same green jacket, the same light brown pants, and the same hat, and he was even riding the same horse that he rode on TV!

I didn't know what to do when he got closer. I was feeling very nervous, but I continued to stand still, praying and hoping that he wouldn't miss me among all the big people around me.

   Suddenly, there he was~ right in front me! I just looked up at him~ with big lovestruck eyes. It was a moment frozen in time. I am sure he could feel the magnetism from my eyes! He stopped his horse, and  he smiled down at me, and then, he reached down, stretched out his hand, and took ahold of my fingers with his fingers. His touch touched my heart, and my heart skipped a beat for days, but no one ever knew what happened that night, because it meant more to keep it to myself.

It was my sweetest secret. Today, I broke my silence~ but only because it is his daughter who wants to know more about her father.

Michael Landon went on to star in Little House on the Prairie, and I continued to be in awe everytime I saw him. He is the image in my mind of what a man should be... a kind man, a wise man, a loving man, a man who thinks of his family before he thinks of himself. 

I was surely touched by an angel.

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