Still in Tennessee

The Jungle Room at Graceland

Columbia, Tennessee (far from anywhere)

Some years ago, Serry and I attended a memorial service for her brother-in-law, Bob Mercurio, during which friends and relatives got up and spoke about their recollections of times they spent with Bob, and the many things he accomplished in his life. After the service, at a luncheon in the church basement, Nancy Heiss (Lofaro) turned to me and said she'd better get on the ball if anyone was ever going to have something nice to say about her.

I waqs reminded of Nancy's comment yesterday at the Clinton Library. There was an exhibit having to do with Bill and Hillary's mothers. It talked about where they grew up and went to school, who they married, where they lived, etc. Written on the walls in big letters were inspirational comments they made over the course of their lives. Things like, "You sometimes have to make daring choices in your life, and then you must have the courage to see them through." 

Now I know lots of people, and I have never heard anyone say something worthy of being written on a wall. But maybe it's true about these ladies. And I'm thinking, suppose one of my kids becomes President, and they want to do something to celebrate my life? I've gotta come up with something worthy of being written on a wall. "Where's the bathroom?" is not gonna cut it.

We spent this morning touring the Graceland mansion, the house Elvis bought when he was just 22and already very successful. The house is beautiful but the decorating is atrocious! Lots of money, but absolutely no taste at all. Things like shag carpeting on the walls and ceilings, unimaginable combinations of colors and fabrics, etc. Painful to look at, but fun nonetheless. Elvis certainly had an eventful life, and it was fun to see his many gold records, and relive, through film, the things we saw him do. It's just too bad the whole experience is so tacky. So...don't go to Memphis for the purpose of seeing Graceland, but if you find yourself in Memphis with time on your hand, it's well worth a visit...if only to see what all the fuss is about.

We had planned to go into downtown Memphis after Graceland, but it was very hot, and I just didn't feel like traipsing around in the heat, so we headed to Tupelo, MS, where Elvis was born, to pick up the Natchez Trace Parkway toward Nashville. The Parkway was built and is operated by the National Park Service. No commercial traffic or billboards are allowed, and the road has some nice things along it to see. Originally, it was a path used by the Indians, and then hunters and traders, etc. Unfortunately, we hit the Parkway too late to get to Nashville, and the road is in the middle of nowhere, so it took us a long drive, down a very dark road, to get to a motel to spend the evening. And now we're in Columbia, TN, wherever that is. 

Tomorrow we'll try Nashville.