Today I cried at Dollywood. I was at an exhibit in which Dolly read an early letter she'd sent home to her parents. The first part I heard was that she cried the whole way to Nashville. Then she told them not to worry about sending her money, because she had gotten work singing on the radio in the morning and a few people had already told her that they might record her songs. She told her folks not to worry about her being hungry.

Walking around the park I marveled. How incredible is it that one woman, through the power of her talent, intelligence, charisma, and sheer force of will created an attraction in her impoverished hometown that brings visitors from far and wide to appreciate and enjoy the beauty of these mountains AND employs thousands of people in the process? What a light. What a legacy. What a firecracker. Happy Independence Day, Dolly Parton.