When We're Gone, Long Gone

Ugh. 

I gotta write about Dolly Parton. 

The 'ugh' isn't because I don't like Dolly, it is the circumstances under which one must write. Death. 

I had zero against Dolly. That said, other than the two Trio albums, I owned nothing by Dolly. 

If she's done more than two movies, I don't know about it.  Yeah 9 to 5 was fun(ny).  Straight Talk I saw on a plane - avec audio - and I was exceptionally high at the time. And it co-starred James Woods. So........she gets 0 point for that one. 

But the world - or at least the US - is a worse place without her. 

I dare you to find a an interview where she wasn't so upbeat you could barely stand it sometimes. She seemingly never begrudged the things that brought her PR or get bugged by a question that so much other talent just has ooze out of their bodies. 

She seemed kind to and about everyone ever when disagreeing with them. I'm not sure that is a style that can be learned, just cultivated to a sharper degree. And she had it down. 

Unlike her - the "it sucks to be famous crowd" also didn't donate money to find a workable Covid vaccine. My first three Moderna vaccines were in part due to her. 

Her literacy / Imagination Library book programs are phenomenal. If you don't know about them - read about them. 

Ohio has a license plate template for that. I actually took a pic of a real on in a crowded parking lot months ago and can't find it. What were the chances the car owner would be walking up at the same time? But he was cool with it - and said his daughter participated in the program. 

Let's face it: there is no Patsy Cline Park or Loretta Lynn Land.  Dolly was one of a kind. Period.

With no immediate family (well, brothers and sisters there are, I'm sure), I hope her estate planning will continue that community growth of literacy and good works. 

She was an anomaly in certain ways.  Growing up poor and uneducated in Tennessee. Everything her starting fan base was. She championed literacy. A Covid vaccine. LGBTQ ally. Everything that initial fan base is against. 

Yes, I'm generalizing, but not by much. 

For me, Dolly will be missed more as a human being than an artist. Her legacy will last due to her causes and commitment. 

Song by: Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt & Emmylou Harris