I grew up with every cheesy Elvis movie on the planet. My favorite is Blue Hawaii, where Elvis portrays Chad, a young guy who sets aside his parents' expectations for him to carve his own path in life. My second favorite is Follow That Dream, where a family decides to homestead on a strip of beach in Florida.
I have even ridden down Follow that Dream Parkway in Florida, where you can visit several locations where scenes from the movie were filmed in and around Yankeetown.
You may notice that I have a theme: chasing dreams and believing in myself. I like to help others believe in themselves too, but I can't do that if I don't practice what I preach, right?
On a recent trip to Alabama, I hit pause on the GPS and looked at the map. The interstate would get us home faster if I followed my map's direction, but I decided to go out of our way a few hours and take my 18-year-old son to Graceland.
The last time I visited Graceland, I was seven years old. I vividly remember sitting in the pink Jeep from Blue Hawaii. I can also remember feeling peaceful and calm during the tour. I think I was too small to connect the "why" to those feelings.
One of my favorite things to do with my family is find adventure by taking the road less traveled or, as my son's say, "make a car trip as long as possible."
We arrived around 2 PM, and Graceland was not busy at all. This was a pleasant surprise because the first time I visited it was hot and crowded. This time, it felt like we had the tour to ourselves.
I can't even explain the silly feeling I had when I saw the staircase I have seen in so many photos, and home movies, and to experience Graceland as Elvis did. The only way I know how to explain it is, "magical."
As we paid our respects to the Presley family in the garden where they are buried, I could feel their presence. It felt like a sense of encouragement to keep on dreaming. It wasn't unlike how I felt when I was seven years old in that pink Jeep.
This trip was exceptionally magical because the Christmas decorations were up and - well, I have a big love of Christmas and the spirit it gives me. I love Christmas so much that I am writing a children's book based on a Christmas tree farm.
Elvis' music makes it hard to pick one favorite, but "If I Can Dream" is one of my favorites. The actual meaning of the song is described below from Wikipedia:
Composer Billy Goldenberg and lyricist Walter Earl Brown were asked to write a song to replace "I'll Be Home for Christmas" as the grand finale on NBC's Elvis, taped from June 20–23, 1968 (now also known as '68 Comeback Special).[3] Knowing about Presley's fondness for Martin Luther King Jr., and about his devastation related to his then-recent assassination in Memphis, Brown wrote "If I Can Dream" with Presley in mind. After Presley heard the demo, he proclaimed: "I'm never going to sing another song I don't believe in. I'm never going to make another movie I don't believe in". [4]
It has a special vibe every time I hear it, and it takes on a slightly different meaning for me personally.
This song is timeless because the devastation Elvis felt and put into this song when he heard of Martin Luther King's assassination has a vibe similar to all the devastating events and lack of community and togetherness that we feel today.
But it also reminds me to believe in myself and my dream. This song has so much passion it touches my soul when I hear it. When he produced this song, Elvis had reached a point in his career where he wanted to perform for the people and to fulfill a purpose that I think he searched for his entire life. That resonates deeply with me.
I didn't grow up as poor as Elvis, but I can relate to the struggle of wanting to provide for your family while searching for your purpose in life.
Elvis loved to read, and I also share that passion. Reading helps us expand our minds and grow into our purpose, and no one can take away the knowledge we gather from reading.
Stepping foot in Graceland, where Elvis dared to follow that dream, reminded me how big we can dream and how much we can accomplish - no matter how little we start with.
Go, dream, grow, and never doubt the path you're laying before you. You get to choose your dream! If you choose to follow the route someone else laid out, you will be disappointed. But if you follow your path, you will find happiness, adventure, and a sense of purpose.
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