‘It costs me a lot of money to look this cheap.”
A cheeky quote from country music legend and songwriter, Dolly Parton who in her self-deprecating manner is known for her gleeful one-liners.
She is also known to have said during one interview that if she hadn’t been a woman, she would have been a drag queen!
It’s easy to make fun of Dolly with her exaggerated persona and blond wigs and ample bosom, but underneath that hair and makeup is a brilliant and compassionate businesswoman.
A philanthropist with a gentle heart and a generosity that knows no bounds, she is one person I would love to meet.
You may know Dolly as the gal who wrote the iconic hit I Will Always Love You, which the late Whitney Houston turned into a mega hit, or for her Dollywood theme park in Tennessee.
But there is so much more to this woman as she spreads the love of literacy to the world.
In 1995, she launched what she calls Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to honour her illiterate father who she says was ‘smart’ but never had the opportunity to learn to read or write. The library was borne out of her dream of a world where every child, regardless of background is surrounded by books and a love for reading.
According to a recent article by writer Raye Mocioiu, every 1.3 seconds, a book from Dolly’s Imagination Library is mailed out by snail mail to a child in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and beyond. More than two million books are mailed out each month.
Each month!
In Canada alone, more than 44,000 books are sent out monthly.
That’s a lot of reading!
Dolly’s vision is to foster a love of reading among preschool children and their families by giving them an age-appropriate book monthly.
I am inspired by her philanthropic act as I, too, am an ardent fan of reading.
I remember the first possession which my daughters could truly call their own was a White Rock library card. They spent countless hours browsing through the book shelves and enjoyed story time at the library.
When they were much older, I culled through the hundreds of books my children owned and donated four boxes to the White Rock library.
I have kept some of their favourite books in the hope that I could one day read them to my own grandchildren.
And, finally, it looks like that will happen as I have a granddaughter and a grandson on the way.
My favourites are “The Tiger Who Came to Tea” from England and the Australian version of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” (and an emu up a gum tree).
Reading is so important as it provides a foundation for whatever life path one may choose.
I’m a little out of touch but I don’t even think they teach the basic ABCs in elementary schools anymore. I know cursive writing is history but I don’t believe they teach spelling anymore. A sore point for this writer whose five minutes of fame included spelling champion of Grade Six.
Whatever happened to Dick and Jane? I imagine they are piled high on the heap of extinction along with the 8-track tape and bell-bottoms.
Kids today appear to be glued to their screens, but I feel confident there are many local children whose DNA includes a love of reading.
In fact, I saw dozens last year at the first annual White Rock Pride Family Day where a Dolly Parton performer, in drag, read to the young captive audience.
I’m sure the real Dolly would have approved.
April Lewis writes monthly on seniors issues for the Peace Arch News.