Loretta Swit died today. You probably remember her as "Hot Lips Houlihan" on the classic TV show, MASH. I do too, but I also have one personal memory of her.
Back in the late 1980s or early 1990s, I accidentally met Loretta Swit.
We were on a family vacation in San Francisco, CA at the time, and I was exploring the San Francisco Zoo with my three sons and their father.
Suddenly my son, Marcus, yelled, "LOOK! There's Hot Lips Houlihan!" I looked, and sure enough, it was her.
They were filming her in front of a polar bear exhibit. She was speaking and smiling, and as we watched, that polar bear climbed down a tiny ladder right behind her into the pit between his exhibit and freedom. 😳
The cameramen said a few choices words and stopped filming.
We walked over like a bunch of idiots and looked down into the paved pit at the polar bear as it tried to figure out how to escape.
Keeping my eyes on the huge bear, I said, "Do you think it can get out?!" and looked up thinking my son, Dave, had walked up beside me, as I was standing shoulder to shoulder with someone.
Nope. Not Dave! I found myself staring directly into Loretta Swit's eyes!!! I was face to face with Hot Lips Houlihan!! 😱 She had been staring down at the bear with me for several minutes.
I was so shocked and caught off guard that I was speechless! I mumbled something that sounded like, "Ubba ubba um er hmmm," or the like. Loretta Swit smiled at me and walked away. 😂
Then, the zookeepers appeared. There were a lot of puzzled heads being scratched, and a lot of discussion about how the bear got down that ladder and how they could get him back in the exhibit.
The cameramen were trying to figure out how to finish the shoot.
People were gathering.
It was getting kinda chaotic, and the bear didn't like it, so he politely climbed right back up that tiny ladder into his exhibit, as we all watched. Mesmerized.
We looked around at each other like, "Did that really just happen?!" The polar bear settled himself and yawned. The zookeepers and people shrugged and dispersed. The cameramen finished their filming, and I gathered my three sons, and we finished our exploring.
Now, every time I hear the name, Loretta Swit, I think of that day and wonder if she remembered it too.
It makes me sad to know she has passed away. Her career touched so many hearts. I pray she rests in peace. 🙏🏻
