Here I am, again, subject to yet another life lesson. (Don’t we have enough of these lessons, as is? Might there be such a thing as a timeout? Oh, it’s called death? Forget it!)
So, Dolly Parton, you are preeminent on my learning curve right now. I’m telling on myself. Over many years, I never took the time to look past your humongous blonde wigs, pancaked makeup, and those tight, tight spangled clothes. I wasn’t fond of your voice’s timbre, either. Way too high for my taste.
I, alas, never bothered to listen to the lyrics of your large compendium of self-composed songs. I’m not trying to be mean, but you weren’t my cup of tea. I’d written you off years ago. Why would I deign to listen to your song lyrics? C’mon! As far as I was concerned, you seemed only a splashy characterture of a singing artist.
Oh, gosh, that’s harsh! Once again, I’m excelling at looking from a distance and passing judgment on others. Dolly Who?
This ‘ol universe, finally, opened its door, but only for a wee bit, to my seeing Dolly a tad differently. Dolly composed “I will always love you.” Wow, I love that song. (And, if you don’t, dear reader, what’s wrong with you?)
Dolly a Parton died yesterday and all manner of hell broke loose. The news, social media, friends, everyone was mourning. Dolly’s passing seemed to dominate all my usual media sources. The news of her death was preeminent.
So, reflective person that I am (on occasion), I set out to learn more about this icon in everyone else’s eyes, but my own. Googling up the wazoo, viewing a lengthy PBS documentary, Britain’s royal family (whoa!) paying tribute, and on and on. I was cooked by this morning; well done, in fact. Uh oh, I forgot to mention she was also a philanthropist, giving millions of dollars to supply books for impoverished children. Those lyrics of Dolly’s I’d so dismissed when I saw her only as a caricature? I whiffed that one, too.
Cooked, and damn wrong about Dolly Parton. She was a smart cookie, who loved the role she played, including all her accoutrement. Had I taken time to listen to the lyrics of this woman I’d long characterized as a Trollope (a tart in British vernacular), my eyes would have widened in shock. Dolly was intentionally playing a role she loved, with considerable wisdom and sensitivity underlying her songs’ lyrics. That is, if I’d paid attention to those lyrics…..
Mea culpa. I have much to apologize for, Dolly, but you’re already gone. I’ll continue to chip away at my long time conundrum of “my way, or the highway.” Is it possible I could live up to you? A question that never crossed my mind before…..
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