...Misty-Eyed "RIP to Dolly Parton"

As I recently said in an Instagram post, "This last year, I have said goodbye to some of my most favorite people, both in my personal life and in pop culture. Today, it's beautiful Dolly Parton. Just like Robert Redford last year, this is hard." Dolly passed away last Tuesday, August 25th. But for as sad as it's been, it's also been so uplifting to see the outpouring of love from across the globe.

From New York City's Empire State Building being lit in pink at night, to London's Buckingham Palace Guard playing her work anthem song of "9 to 5," and even to Nashville possibly changing its international airport to be named after her, Dolly Parton was indeed a gorgeous force of "Smoky Mountain Tennessee" nature. She stood for so much good, through her songs, her movies, her philanthropy, and her sheer humanity. She was not politically right or left. Instead, she was the best in everyone.

Flags across the USA have been lowered to half-staff this past week. Heartfelt tributes have been sparking the airwaves from the political world, the entertainment world, and then from the everyday world of which I consider myself part. So, without further ado, and after possibly my longest blog post introduction yet, in honor of Dolly Parton, I include below my own heartfelt remembrance. Just like my blog post last month, in which I shared some past writing of my lifelong love affair with the great sport of soccer, here are a few "Dolly Parton-related" excerpts from my 2016 memoir entitled "this is not a memoir." I hope you enjoy.

As the popular saying has been this past week, and just like her popular 1974 song, "I Will Always Love You." Dear Dolly, thank you for all the sweet, fun memories. You have positively impacted my life. As an "angel on earth," you're hopefully up in heaven right now, spending some time with another recently passed "angel on earth," that being my treasured, recently passed friend Norca. Here's to golden marzipan wings for both of these wonderful ladies. I am eternally grateful.

chapter 12 - i love movies

              My favorite movie as a little girl was “9 to 5” with Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and the one and only Dolly Parton.  It came out in 1980 when I was just four years old.  As the saying goes, “I should’ve known then.”  I should’ve known then that I was a little feminist.  I don’t like to put an emphasis on terms – especially one like “feminism.”  It seems to elicit wildly differing viewpoints on what makes someone a feminist.  What’s more, is it even a valid or fair term?  It’s kind of like being branded a “liberal” or “conservative.”  It can be dangerous.  Is society moving past the act of branding and labeling altogether?

              All I know is that I believe in the strength and equality of women, and that these three women were, to me, the ultimate “POWER-CHICK-CLIQUE.”  They were side-splittingly hilarious, smart, loyal, kind.  And they had big imaginations.  If you haven’t seen the three “bumpin’ off the male sexist boss” fantasies that these three women concoct, run out and see this movie – if only to watch these three scenes.  They are cinematic gold, silver, and bronze.  They are a whole magnificent Olympic medal cabinet, plus jewelry store, and throw in all of India’s precious gemstones, too.  My favorite line of the movie – “Let’s face it.  We are in a pink-collar ghetto.”  Hysterical.  Tragic.  1980 True.  Lily Tomlin, you rocked my pig-tail world.   

              For a while, “9 to 5” was it for me.  My family used to say I would sit on our linoleum kitchen floor (whose tiles were in the design of delft-blue Dutch windmills) and recite the whole movie scene by scene.  “I should’ve known then.”  I should’ve known then that a life of sales, politics, law, journalism, and a variety of artistic endeavors would suit me.  For all you astrology lovers, my “Mercury is in Gemini” – the most auspicious placement for communications.  Call it its “superstar” placement.  Couple that with my very fertile and maternal primary sign of Cancer, an emotional water sign ruled by the Moon – and I’m a veritable “ocean of communicative emotion.”  Word nurturer, life-giving lover of all family members A to Z – my words ebb and flow like the quiet, reliable tides of time.  I am here ruminating and writing ALWAYS.

chapter 18 - for the nosy:  notables

What other notables do I have?  My favorite state in the good ol’ USA is Tennessee.  Yup, who would have thought.  I’ll never forget as a child going to Tennessee for the first time and, out at a dinner-show with my family one night, the host asked us restaurant patrons – “Now who in the audience is a YANKEE?”  A what???  It sounded bad.  I turned to my mother and asked, “What’s a Yankee?”  She responded, “You!”  Me???  I learned a lot about the Civil War that night.  After all, I was only eleven.  I hadn’t studied that part of North vs. South history yet.  This little New England girl was as Yankee as you could get.  Notice, too, that my mother didn’t include herself in our little Yankee caravan.  She was, and still is, a Dutch citizen.  She dodged a century-old bullet that night.

              But seriously.  I love Tennessee.  On that same vacation, I visited Dollywood (Dolly Parton’s beloved hometown theme park).  It’s in a small town call Pigeon Forge.  Isn’t that name so sweetly evocative?  I felt so American being at Dollywood.  The Smoky Mountain atmosphere of eastern Tennessee drew me in with its fun, wholesome goodness.  I remember trying my first unsweetened iced tea at Dollywood.  They also had the BEST lemonade.

             As a child, I loved the amusement park rides.  I was a huge fan of the airborne swings and the water flume.  So fun!  But, I also loved the cultural stations – learning about beautifully colorful blown glass (and seeing how it’s made).  Then, there was a bird sanctuary that housed an array of North American birds.  I remember looking up, up, up.

           Dollywood also had an old-fashioned steam train with all these exciting “bells and whistles” (quite literally).  The conductor would yell – “All aboard!”  RING!  RING!  The train then puffed its way through the Smoky Mountains, offering park visitors an “up close and personal” view of Dolly’s “once upon a time” Appalachian life.  Glimpsing her former 1950s ‘hood was quite a treat.  Of course, my family and I rode the train.

              Oh, and one last thing.  I met Dolly Parton’s cousin.  At least I think it was her cousin.  It might’ve been a different family member.  But, she was definitely in the Parton bloodline.  Anyway, she was blonde, blue-eyed, and spoke with a Southern twang (which I loved).  Turns out Dolly’s family members made regular visits to the park. They dressed in pretty country gear – lots of silver and fringe.  This woman was so breathtakingly sophisticated to me.  She was signing autographs.