OkcPets Magazine March 2022

32 OKC Pets • March/April 2022 Password . This was one of my first recollec- tions of the blonde lady with the fastest wit on TV, Betty White. I realized that I did not have the ability to be funny at lightning speed — Betty speed. Betty White, born in 1922, had talent and a dazzling smile that brought joy to millions. The Mary Tyler Moore Show was another favorite memory that involved White. Betty White, portraying Sue Ann Nivens, the su- perficially cheerful character of “The Happy Homemaker” segment of the show, gave Moore and all the other characters a run for their money. Her character was a bit naugh- ty, mouthy, judgmental, and downright cruel at times. After chewing you up and spitting you out, she could turn on a dime and be syrupy sweet. She did not always play nice and did not let others push her around. But in typical Betty fashion, she was funny and quick. She was completely opposite of how women were expected to behave in that era. Betty White was revolutionary at the time. Then came The Golden Girls . Four un- likely friends formed an intertwining bond. The conversations and bond circled around love and laughter, and of course cheesecake with a gallon of ice cream. White’s charac- ter, Rose Nylund, was full of love, disliked bickering, and had an uncanny ability to hold a serious face when no one else could. Her love of animals was evident in several episodes. She often brought shelter animals home to meet the girls. Baby, a very large pig, homesick and depressed, shared her bed, covers and all. She worked tirelessly to get Baby sent back to her home. We were drawn ever closer to her. Hot in Cleveland was White’s next opportunity that allowed us to get to know her. She played the caretaker of a home that three close friends shared. Once again, her quick wit was prominent, and we watched as she began to date at age 80. In the movie The Proposal, White played the matriarch of the family. She was again tough, tender, and witty. Off the Script In an interview, White stated that she rarely followed a script. She ad-libbed, and if people did not like it, too bad. She played in many sitcoms, movies, and game shows, winning many awards for her talents. What grit and gumption Miss Betty possessed! At age 88, she became the oldest host of Saturday Night Live , for the “40th Anniver- sary Special.” Many people had written in requesting that she be the host. She jokingly said she really did not know what all the fuss was about on Facebook, and honestly, with that cute expression and seriousness, “Facebook seems like a waste of time.” She won another Emmy for her performance. Again, she was not afraid to call it as she sees it. Honesty with a big dose of genuineness is an endearing trait that drew us even closer. She was a trailblazer for others to emulate. Did you know that White’s dream was Sharing a Bond with Betty and the Animals The Legacy and Love of Betty White by Karen Dugan Holman, B.S., B.S.E., M.S. I believe we can all agree on several things. One, the last two years have been like the stench of a pigpen that hangs in the air on a hot, humid Oklahoma summer day. Two, we all need a hero in our lives from time to time to swoop down and save us. For many of us, our heroes are our family members with fur. Three, humor can help us through the tough situations that life throws our way. When it all comes down to it, maybe we should all strive to be more like Betty White. Do you wonder why the world loved Betty White? Why did we all mourn when she passed just short of her 100th birthday? Betty lived her life as if each day were her last. One of her quotes was, “At my age, don’t buy green bananas!” She was funny but often direct. She had the uncanny ability to turn off the humor and get real. When she was asked what she had not had in Hollywood, she said, “Robert Redford.” When asked what she did not go to bed without, she said, “My Golden Retriever, since I cannot have Robert Redford, it seems!” Then she quickly got serious and began to share her descrip- tion of passion and responsibility. Growing up as a kid in the 1960s and 1970s, when we had a snow day or stayed home “sick,” we watched TV all day. Today when children miss school, they have dis- tance learning and must complete academic work on their computers. Oh, what the kids of today are missing! We watched count- less reruns of sitcoms such as The Partridge Family , Batman , and The Munsters , to name a few. Then there were soap operas and game shows. One of those riveting game shows was