Thursday, two days from today, on January 19th, Dolly Parton turns 77 years old. Wow! Talk about a Senior with Personal Energy — Dolly Parton is the personification of the word. She has more personal energy today at nearly 77 than many of us had or will ever achieve.
I was reminded of her birthday through an article in today’s “Kids” Section or our local tabloid, The Washington Post.
What has she done with all that energy during her life? Here are a few of her achievements.
Music. She became famous through her singing and then by her songwriting. According to the Post article, the has written over 3000 songs, many of which became well known to all of us. She started singing in public at age 11 and is still performing today — and with about the same amount of energy as an 11 year old.
Dollywood. We took our Grandson to Dollywood when he was 15. He had lived in Orlando close to Disney World and had been there a number of times. I’ve been to the original Disneyland in California, Disney World in Orlando and Dollywood. I truly enjoyed Dollywood. My advance expectations were fairly low but what I discovered was a very well run and managed theme park without a lot of the “overkill” that Disney has. In other words, you can go to Dollywood, enjoy the great rides, have a great time and then leave without thinking you have missed seventy five percent of it.
She is very well known for her business savvy and can be very proud of what she has achieved with Dollywood.
Donations and Philanthropy. Parton had donated money and time to any number of organizations and causes. Her upbringing in a very poor part of Tennessee made her want to help others.
Personality. She is bubbly but real. She is Incredibly charismatic and enthusiastic about life, with enormous amounts of energy.
Those of us who were around in the early days of her career may have had a somewhat different perception of her than how we think of her today. Known for certain physical attributes, she was once asked by Oprah Winfrey about cosmetic surgery. She replied: “It takes money to look this cheap.” Today she is far more well known for her extraordinary talent and her accomplishments as an entertainer, as well as for her business acumen.
She still entertains at age 77. Watch her on stage and you would think she was still in her 20’s, filled with energy and enthusiasm.
Dolly Parton is one of those people I would like to have met in person, if for no other reason than just to be around that kind of energy and talent, and to maybe absorb a little bit of it myself. One of the best compliments I can give a person is that they energize me. Fortunately, I know a number of people who energize me.
Happy 77th Birthday Dolly Parton. May you remain vibrant, active, a contributor, and an energetic role model for the rest of us all through the rest of your life. I know you will be a contribution to wherever situation you may find yourself.
For a complete look at her long career, you will find an extraordinary write up on Wikipedia, here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolly_Parton
Thank you for reading this SeniorFlow Moment.
