Lessons from a Celebrity Crush!

I am joining a talented group of bloggers called GENFAB on
Monday for the February collaboration about our celebrity crushes.  This post is my contribution:

I met him every Saturday night at six o’clock for
years.  I am not sure what captured my
heart first…his deep green eyes, his 100 watt smile, his teasing laugh or his
tender tears….but it did not take long for Little Joe Cartwright to win a young
girl’s heart.   Of course, Michael Landon
was the celebrity, but it was the character of Little Joe who I really…sigh…loved.  Later as a dad on the prairie or an angel on
the move, Landon would remain a favorite, but those relationships were not the
same as the one I had with Little Joe.
My parents took me to a rodeo in Big Springs, Texas when I
was about thirteen to meet Little Joe. 
He sat signing autographs after the show with his real life daughter,
about my age, at his side.  But, for me,
it was one of those, I- WILL- NEVER- WASH- THIS-HAND- AGAIN moments after he touched
it when he handed me the pen.
I actually have so much to thank Michael Landon for…first
would be inspiration. When I began to write in fifth grade, I would invent
television scripts of a beautiful young heroine named Jennifer who grew up on
the next ranch to the Ponderosa….story after story built a crescendo toward a
romance between Jennifer and Joe.  These
stories were the beginning of my writing career.
Secondly, the irony of this story is how I met my Mr.
Right.  We first ignored each other
participating in a singles group at our church. 
Then the group was asked to perform a satire for an evening
service.  The satire was the story of the
Prodigal Son as told by Little Joe Cartwright on the Ponderosa.  Mr. B (my husband) played the part of Little
Joe…and I played (No, not a beautiful heroine named Jennifer)….I played HIS
HORSE!  OK, I know it’s funny.  As I got to know him, the similarities were
uncanny between my Mr. B and Little Joe…both, the real man and the character,
are tender warriors.  
As I watch my teen students swoon over Justin Bieber and
Bradley Cooper, I just have to smile remembering my celebrity crush.  Sometimes those little crushes can be
important chapters in our lives.
I will see you later for Visible Monday with another look
from Goodwill…now tell me, who is or was your celebrity crush!
Happy Sunday everyone!

Now go HERE to read other celebrity crush posts!

39 Comments

  1. Oh this is such a fun post Pam! I can't believe it, you weren't the lovely girl-you were the horse for your future Mr. Right? That is hysterical! I'm glad it all worked out so well. How fun that you got to meet Michael Landon. I agree-he was a hottie.
    Currently I'm having a thang with Mr. George Clooney (check my most recent post for proof). I was never into him until he started graying-go figure. He and I are the same age so I'm sure that is why I find him so attractive at this stage in life-well-that and the house on the lake in Como. 😉
    Happy Saturday Night with Mr. Right!
    xx,Heather

  2. Oh, Clint Eastwood as Rowdy Yates in "Rawhide". (Sigh) Every Friday night at 7:30 I was glued to the television. Still think he's cute.

  3. Little Joe was pretty cute, all right. The question is, who DIDN'T I have a crush on? The Beatles, The Monkees, Michael Cole on The Mod Squad, Clint Eastwood in Play Misty for Me, Alan Alda on MASH, Richard Gere in American Gigolo, Keanu Reeves in Point Break. I should probably stop now.

  4. You are so lucky you got to meet Michael Landon! The one and only fan letter I ever wrote was to him. We had the terrible habit of eating in front of the TV (TV trays were just out) and I used to please starvation and eat seconds so I could stay up late enough to watch the second half of Bonanza. I can tell Val Sparkle and I are the same age… Strangely, I never watched Little House on the Prairie. I seem to have moved on to different stuff by then. Great memories of Little Joe!

  5. What a cute story about how you met Mr. Right! I love it.
    I also had the hots for Little Joe – big time. I also had crushes on Greg Evigan and John Davidson. John Davidson was my favorite. He actually kissed my forehead during his show that I went to in Las Vegas when I was 12. I wonder whatever happened to him?

  6. Lol, you played his horse? Hey, whatever it takes, right?
    My crush was Clint Eastwood! Gosh, he was so darn handsome! Little Joe was right up there, too. I watched Bonanza faithfully when it was on. What memories…

  7. So funny you played the horse.
    I suppose I had "tiny" crushes on a few tv/movie celebrities that would last but a moment.
    But my all time fascination was with Elvis. I saw him perform once when I was 15 and was within about 12 feet of him as he was escorted and rushed out of the arena after the show and that moment and whole experience was quite powerful, electric and unforgettable. A memory frozen in time of his bodyguards on either side with a grip on him, his coal black hair and that white towel draped around his neck. It was so fast and something they'd done so many times before. He was whisked away and gone in a flash…and the people in the auditorium were left with the experience of a lifetime.

  8. I loved your story about how you met Mr. B, ~ and performed together with your Singles Group. =)
    I remember watching Bonanza and Little House on the Prairie, I think Michael Landon was such a inspiring actor!

    My Mom told me that I met "Hoss" from Bonanza when I was little ( about 2 or 3 years old..but I dont remember meeting him ) My Dad worked at a Chevrolet dealership at the time ( I remember visiting the Dealership when I was a little older..)..and I think? Chevrolet sponsored? Bonanza?. =)

    My favorite crush when I was younger was David Cassidy from the Partridge Family. I watch re-runs of that show now..and just smile. =)

  9. I loved Michael Landon for all the reasons you said. And some more. I loved the way he brought stories to the screen,through Little House and his next series (brain fog and I can't remember the name). All G rated, beautiful stories. He was also a funny man. Look at any old Tonight Show video of him and Johnny (another sigh for me) laughing it up. He was on The Dean Martin Roast and was very funny. He had a GREAT sense of humor. And he was brave. I saw him, again on The Tonight Show, and it wasn't long before he passed away. His bravery that night was unmistakable. We lost him too soon. I am glad he left a legacy of ways to see him even after he is long gone. Thanks for this wonderful post.

  10. Little Joe! Oh, it's been a while. And "Pa" on LH on the P. I was very touched by how paternal he was to the child actors on Little House on the Prarie, and I was very sad when he died so young (54) of pancreatic cancer.

  11. Little Joe was the reason I tuned in to Bonanza every week – I did like Hoss because he was like a friendly, cuddly bear who'd be my big brother, but Little Joe was the one who'd take me out to the dance on Saturday night.
    His hair was awesome as well and deserved billing of its own. All those gorgeous curls!
    W.

  12. I love that you wrote Bonanza fan-fiction as a girl, and that you can look back on it as being such a positive influence in your life. Wonderful choice!

  13. I still watch Bonanza on Encore Westerns – one of my all-time favorite shows! Little Joe certainly did have an influence on your life!

  14. Pam I loved Little Joe passionately as well. I think the thing I loved most about him was that knowing chuckle of his. What a yummy man. However, I must admit that I loved Randy Mantooth on Emergency just a little bit more. Once I received an electric shock while trying to kiss him on the tv screen. Sigh.

  15. Totally forgot about my crush on Little Joe… I asked for a horse (but received a pony instead) so I could ride off into the sunset with him. (I met my husband at church, also — but neither of us was pretending to be a horse!)

  16. OMG, how could I forget Little Joe? He stole my heart a hundred times over. I used to live for Johnny Carson shows when Michael Landon would be a guest – he was hilarious. Thanks for the memories!

  17. I must confess that I also loved Michael Landon. He had great hair, but his attraction really was in his big heart. He always seemed to have a big heart. I wished he could have been my all-knowing father on the prairie or my personal guardian angel. He was certainly something. Thank you for the reminder of how much he is missed.

  18. You've got me on this one. Little Joe was a heart stealer, and when he became "Pa" on Little House on the Prairie, well, I loved him even more. A big talent…an even bigger heart!

  19. What a wonderful story. Who didn't love Little Joe. And I love how you met your husband. That is so funny. Thanks for sharing.

  20. Boy, what a handsome trip down memory lane. I love your writing, Pam…"his 100 watt smile"? Niiice!
    I can never hear enough stories about how people found their soulmates. Yours is precious! I love love. sigh
    Now…celebrity crushes? Donny Osmond as a teen. When he later came out with Soldier of Love, I was amazed he had that in him and sang along at the top of my voice. David Cassidy until I met him at Alice Cooper's charity events and saw I tower over him. James Brolin on Marcus Welby, Lucas Tanner (David Harman) and your Michael on Highway to Heaven. I love the stories of heroism as much as the handsome men cast to play the parts. Keep writing, B&BC girlfriend!

  21. I wasn't old enough to see Bonanza when it was originally airing BUT I have found it in the world of reruns every afternoon. I know Little Joe is the obvious crush…but I actually find myself drawn to Adam. He's so smart and so just and so level-headed…so sad that he left the show so soon. Yes, I'm very much into Bonanza these days. I have a problem.

    Btw, thanks for sharing this…it was so fun. (And validating! LOL)

  22. Little Joe–I think most of the women in America (indeed, around the globe) had a major crush on him. I mean, think about it. Bonanza was THE top-rated show of its time. He quickly took over the role of ladies' man on the show, something made evident by the fact that more and more episodes were written with him in the romantic role. So there he was, the hottie on America's favorite show. Sources such as the publicity manager of Bonanza say that he had the second highest number of fan letters of anyone in the show—right after Hoss. 😉

  23. What a lovely story – I am so envious of you that you got to meet Michael Landon and also you are very lucky!! I am a huge fan of Mike's and not a day goes by without watching an episode of Bonanza.

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