Run True, Run Deep

Saturday evening television in Mom and Dad's house when I was growing up consisted of three shows ... every single solitary week unless programming happened to be interrupted for some reason or something drastically life-altering was going on. Lawrence Welk, Hee Haw and The Grand Ole Opry ... every single solitary Saturday evening meant Mom sitting on the couch, Dad settled in his recliner and me stretched out on a giant pillow on the floor watching those three shows. Though I tried my best to feign disinterest in the musical leanings of my parents, the truth is I actually enjoyed the programs way more than I would have ever admitted ... in fact, to this day I remember the names of many of the performers and even some of their songs and routines. Even though a lot of the singers, dancers and comedians had great talent, only one was bigger than life to me ... only one remains one of my all-time favorite performers ... the one and only Dolly Parton. I'm sure I'm not the only gal who grew up idolizing Dolly ... after all, she was born and raised in a little Tennessee mountain town and truly went from rags to riches. Dolly taught my generation of Southern girls not to ever give up on our dreams ... she was sort of like our real-life Tennessee fairy tale come true.

Perhaps it was my encounter a couple of mornings ago with the Lamborghini driven by the Dolly lookalike that's caused me to have Dolly on my mind, which in turn has made me think a lot about my dad ... Daddy sure did love him some Dolly. One of the biggest regrets I have is that I never took Daddy to see her perform at The Grand Ole Opry. He always talked about how much he wanted to go, and I let the busyness of my life and the selfishness of my youth keep me from doing for my dad what I now would stop or give everything to be able to do for him. Believe it or not, it wasn't Dolly's enormously big blonde hair or her even bigger boobs that garnered my dad's admiration (though I'm sure those didn't hurt her standing with him in the least!), it was her story that captured Daddy's heart. I can remember him saying time and time again as we watched her on television, "Lookie there, Sam ... there's a woman who didn't listen to all them folks who told her she could never be who she knew down deep she was born to be ... there's a woman who followed her heart and look at her now. You always be true to yourself, Sam, even when everybody says you can't ... always be true to yourself and don't listen to nobody who tells you not to be." I had absolutely no idea back then just how wise and profound my dad's words were ... I had absolutely no idea.

It feels like fall here in Kansas City today ... the air is cool and crisp, and the skies are bluer than blue ... without question, my favorite time of the year. Ollie and I went for a long walk really early this morning ... early enough that we watched the sun rise from the horizon and fill the sky. It was probably no coincidence that when I turned on my iPod the first singer who appeared on the shuffle was Dolly. And it was also probably no coincidence that the particular song that began to play was a song about not judging a person by his or her appearance ... a song about seeing the person beneath the clothing or the hair ... a song about being true to oneself. The first time I heard the song a year or two ago, I cried like a baby as the words charged into my heart like a lion chasing its prey. The words seared themselves into my mind because I understood them ... I understood them with every fiber of my being ... I understood them because I live them every single day of my life. 

This morning as I breathed in the fresh morning air and walked in cadence with my sweet little hound dog, some different words to Dolly's "Backwoods Barbie" song began to flow into my mind as quickly as the tears began to flow from my eyes. Something tells me Dolly wouldn't mind my rendition of her song, and something tells me my dad wouldn't either ... something tells me Dolly and Daddy wouldn't mind at all.

Backwoods Tomboy

I grew up tough and boyish, just a simple country girl.

I wanted to be pretty more than anything in the world,

Like Dolly or the models in the Penney's catalog.

From rags to wishes in my dreams, I could have it all.

I'm just a backwoods tomboy, with my Converse and short hair.

Don't be fooled by thinkin' that the goods are not all there.

Don't let these backwards ball caps lead you to believe that

I'm as shallow as I look 'cause I run true and deep.

I've always been misunderstood because of how I look.

Don't judge me by the cover 'cause I'm a real good book.

So read into it what you will, but see me as I am.

The way I look is just this country girl's idea of glam.

I'm just a backwoods tomboy in suspenders and bow ties.

I might look artificial, but where it counts I'm real.

And I'm all spiffed up and hopin' for a chance to prove my worth,

Cause even backwoods tomboys get their feelings hurt.

I'm just a backwoods tomboy, with my Converse and short hair.

Don't be fooled by thinkin' that the goods are not all there.

Yes, I can see where I could be misjudged upon first glance;

But even backwoods tomboys deserve a second chance.

I'm just a backwoods tomboy just asking for a chance,

Just a backwoods tomboy.