Dolly Parton - Dream More

I dedicate this book to all of the people who have helped me with my Imagination Library and believe as I do that reading is the fuel for a childs imagination.

I especially want to acknowledge David Dotson for his leadership of my Dollywood Foundation and Imagination Library and for spreading my dreams for children across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

Finally, this book is for my Daddy, who never learned to read and write, and paid a dear price for that, and inspired me to not let it happen to others.

I peeked through the black curtain to see the audience, just the way I had done a thousand times before. No matter how many times you appear in front of an audience, there is a compulsive need to see just what they look like before you jump out onstage. After all these years, I know that every audience is different, but theyre always familiar, too, as many of my great fans and folks who have followed my career since the early days will be there.

But this audience was different, remarkably different. There were nearly ten thousand of them and almost all were in their early twenties. This was the University of Tennessee graduating class, and the university had invited me to give the commencement speech. The trustees also planned to bestow an honorary doctorate on me at the end of the ceremony. I was about to become Dr. Dolly.

As I looked out at all those young, energetic faces, I couldnt help but drift into a realm of wonder. I wondered: If my husband, Carl Dean, and I had had a baby girl, would she have graduated from here? What would her dreams be? A singer, a model, a businesswoman? What would she look like? Blond, full-figured, skinny, fat? Would we have been good parents with my being on the road all the time? How would Carl have handled all that?

What about a boy? A Dolly Parton boy! I cant imagine. A tall, dark, handsome fellow like his dad? Or a drag queen? Oh, my stars.

Then suddenly the reality hit me. I had accepted an invitation to give a speech in less than thirty minutes that was to inspire young people, when their parents and teachers had had more than twenty years to influence them. Whatever had made me think I could do this?

Over the years, I have talked with lots of groups of kids. Ive always known I could relate to them, but this wasnt the same. This wasnt about relating or entertaining; this was about whether I had the ability to say something that might make a difference in their futures.

I had spent hours preparing my speech. But would the jokes and thoughts that I had about what was important to say mean anything to these college graduates on this day?

I glanced up from the back of the stage, and there was Chancellor Jimmy Cheek of the University of Tennessee and the governor at that time, Phil Bredesen, who had become a very good friend of mine during his administration. Both of them were going to speak before I did. Such respected and educated public speakers would surely say all the right things. And if they said all the right things, what would be left for me to say? Would my speech just be redundant?

Oh, please, Lord. I have to quit this second-guessing. I will just have to go out there and speak from my heart and tell everybody some things Ive learned from all my years of experience. Surely there must be a gem or two in my own life that will benefit some of them.

During the ceremony, it turned out that other people had a lot to say. As I stood in the wings waiting to go onstage, I thought the academic speeches would never end. But when the governor finally introduced me, he said such nice things about how he and others were inspired by some of the things I had done that his words gave me the focus I needed. I realized I should just share some of my inner self with those kids.

There were parents and teachers in the audience, but mostly students. And when I hit the stage, they all sprang to their feet. What a warm welcome and what a relief. I can do this, I thought to myself as I looked out at them clapping and cheering.

In preparing my speech, I had decided to use four principles that guide our mission at my Dollywood Foundation for the Imagination Library. In our foundation work, we talk about the values we would like to instill in children from birth to kindergarten and beyond.

As I reviewed these four guiding points, I discovered that they really apply to all people of all ages. We are simply saying in our foundation that these ideas should start when children are small. In fact, I believe that if you get it right with children when theyre young, then it becomes a part of their character for life. So I wrote a speech about these ideals and I delivered it from my heart.

When I finished speaking, I received a standing ovation. I can honestly say it was the most rewarding applause that Ive ever received.

As I wrote this book, I reviewed that speech over and over. No matter how many accolades I received for it, I felt I did not say everything that I could or should have said. Probably, if I had made a longer speech, people in the audience would have walked out or started texting their friends, saying, I wish shed shut up so we can go party. This book covers more of what I wish I had said.