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Mira

(22,482 posts)
Fri Dec 9, 2016, 10:52 PM Dec 2016

An open apology to Dolly Parton -- a heartfelt note to her I found on facebook

Dear Dolly,

I’ll be honest. I used to think you were a bimbo. I used to think you flaunted your big boobs, teased hair, tiny waist, and your syrupy-sweet southern accent just to sell yourself and your brand as a country singer. Granted, I was raised in the Midwest and lived as an adult for many years in the Northeast. I didn’t get you, much less the South.

For example, I’d heard about your origins as a poor girl from the hills of East Tennessee, and when I learned you’d created a theme park in your native Sevier County I rolled my eyes. “Really, a theme park?” I thought. “As if rollercoasters will really help the people of rural Appalachia. Why not create something truly useful to give back to your community, like a library.”

Oh.

You have created a library, actually, and possibly in a bigger and more magical way than any brick structure filled with books could. And this is where my understanding of who you are really began to shift.

When I moved to Knoxville eight years ago I received a welcome letter from “Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.” It informed me that Dolly’s vision was to foster a love of reading among preschool children by mailing a specially selected book each month directly to any child under the age of 5. You had expanded it from Sevier County to my county, and if I had a preschool age child, it said, all I needed to do was sign her up and she would begin receiving books each month.

My daughter was not quite 2 then, and I can still see how her face lit up each time we pulled a book addressed to her out the mailbox every month. Several of them became her early childhood favorites, and are stored away should she have children of her own some day.

As a writer and editor, I’m a book hound and made sure my daughter has been exposed to reading at every turn. But you know better than anyone that not all kids have that privilege. I can’t imagine what a magical gift receiving a book every month must be for kids whose parents can’t afford to buy them or who don’t have easy access to a library. I quickly came to see the genius of your Imagination Library literacy program, and how you were making a difference in so many ways I never realized.

Your father was illiterate, which fueled your literacy passion. Now the Dolly Parton Imagination Library just surpassed gifting one million books to participating children around the world each month. To celebrate, your Dollywood Foundation randomly selected one of those children to receive a $30,000 college scholarship. Two-year-old Evey, from Conway, Arkansas, has no idea yet how fortunate she is, but her parents surely do.

But what finally brings me to this apology is how I’ve seen you respond to the devastating wildfires that swept through your hometown communities of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. At least 14 vibrant lives were taken tragically too soon, and thousands of buildings and homes were damaged or destroyed.

You made a public statement saying that you were heartbroken, while also expressing deep gratitude to the firefighters who protected Dollywood and evacuated everyone staying there to safety. This is the place I dismissed, but now know is the largest employer in Sevier County and is the largest ticketed tourist attraction in Tennessee, hosting over 3 million guests a season. East Tennessee will count on that tourism to rebuild.

With the humble generosity and graciousness I’m learning is signature Dolly Parton, you’re not only planning a telethon to raise funds for the fire victims, but you’ve also created the My People Fund to provide, as you say, a “hand up to all those families who have lost everything in the fires.”

Those struggling families will receive, thanks to you, $1,000 a month for 6 months. Countless stories detail how these families escaped with literally minutes to spare, and with nothing but the clothes they were wearing. And with each story, there’s a strong undercurrent of hope about how strangers helped one another and how this region is “mountain strong.” Your generosity both reflects and inspires this region’s spirit and resiliency.

Tonight, my daughter, who is now 9 and also loves to sing and act, has been using face paint to dress up as one of the DC comic heroines her friends admire. When she finished, she asked, “Hmmm, what other Superhero girl do I admire?”

I sat down next to her and said, “Let me tell you about Dolly.” In fact, I hope to take her to a Christmas show at Dollywood during this season of gratitude, and I’ll be making a donation to your My People Fund. I can’t imagine a better place to be, or a better way to support an amazing example of what it looks like to make the world a better place, starting with your own sweet community.

Dolly, I’m sorry I didn’t get you sooner—and I thank you for all you are, and all that you do.

Your biggest fan,


Amy Rawe

I, Mira, took this photograph of Pilot Mountain NC 10 days ago, it’s pretty far away from the fires in the NC and Tennessee mountains, which now have been subdued by rain. It was smoke drifting over the knob of Mount Pilot, I smelled it, and it was quite a sight.

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An open apology to Dolly Parton -- a heartfelt note to her I found on facebook (Original Post) Mira Dec 2016 OP
Ms. Dolly Parton has been running a literacy program for years. Hugin Dec 2016 #1
Dolly Parton is Awsome! Merlot Dec 2016 #2
Dolly Parton is a world class human being B2G Dec 2016 #3
Dolly is a national treasure. Ilsa Dec 2016 #4
K&R... spanone Dec 2016 #5
I cried reading that. Doreen Dec 2016 #6
I choked up as well, Mira Dec 2016 #7
K&R ChazII Dec 2016 #8
This world could use more Dolly Partons. Cracklin Charlie Dec 2016 #9
K&R for Dolly canetoad Dec 2016 #10
Dolly has proven to be a National Treasure. joanbarnes Dec 2016 #11
+1 iluvtennis Dec 2016 #12
Nothing we haven't known for years. X_Digger Dec 2016 #13
"It costs a lot of money to look this cheap!" MADem Dec 2016 #14
Thank you so much for this. Blessings on Dolly forever. Hekate Dec 2016 #15
Dolly Parton and my mom were first cousins Samantha Dec 2016 #16
I would be proud too! Raine Dec 2016 #19
it got a little dusty in here reading that confoosed Dec 2016 #17
Dolly is a real sweetheart! Raine Dec 2016 #18
k and r niyad Dec 2016 #20

Hugin

(34,724 posts)
1. Ms. Dolly Parton has been running a literacy program for years.
Fri Dec 9, 2016, 10:55 PM
Dec 2016

Free books for the kids... Little fanfare. But, it's there and has been plugging along for some time.

I always thought it was a great gift for her to give.

Merlot

(9,696 posts)
2. Dolly Parton is Awsome!
Fri Dec 9, 2016, 11:03 PM
Dec 2016

I don't like country music, but no one has a voice like Dolly Parton. I had heard long ago that Dollywood was built with the idea to help her community, that it provided jobs and tourism to an area that didn't have much else going for it. As for her appearance, she's made jokes about how she looks for years.

I've lived in California all my life, and still managed to figure out Dolly is amazing!

 

B2G

(9,766 posts)
3. Dolly Parton is a world class human being
Fri Dec 9, 2016, 11:06 PM
Dec 2016

Who has been judged on her appearance probably more than any other woman out there.

Thank you for posting this.

Ilsa

(62,265 posts)
4. Dolly is a national treasure.
Fri Dec 9, 2016, 11:10 PM
Dec 2016

One of the sweetest, kindest folks in the public eye. She personifies the tenets of Christianity (those who try to live Christ's teachings). I hope she lives a long life and continues her good works.

Mira

(22,482 posts)
7. I choked up as well,
Sat Dec 10, 2016, 12:15 AM
Dec 2016

I am not a fan of Country Music, but made an exception for her work a long time now because I admire her so very much as a humanitarian. A brilliant, talented, giving and warm human being. And a helluva business mind in action.

X_Digger

(18,585 posts)
13. Nothing we haven't known for years.
Sat Dec 10, 2016, 01:21 AM
Dec 2016

There have been a lot of folks who got help from Dolly, on the condition that they keep her name out of it and don't make a fuss about it.

MADem

(135,425 posts)
14. "It costs a lot of money to look this cheap!"
Sat Dec 10, 2016, 01:22 AM
Dec 2016

I always loved me some Dolly. I think she's a brilliant songwriter, too.

And I'm not a country music fan or aficionado, but her stuff transcends genres (as Whitney Houston well knew).

Samantha

(9,314 posts)
16. Dolly Parton and my mom were first cousins
Sat Dec 10, 2016, 01:56 AM
Dec 2016

I am so proud to be related to her, not because of her financial success, but because of the example she has set for what she has done with her success. This woman has such a BIG heart, and has given the expression "giving back" to a whole new level. Tennessee is so fortunate to have such a citizen contributing to the well-being of the state and its residents. We need more like her.

Sam

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