A Deep Exhale & A Little Dolly
It's September, y'all, and I'm taking a big exhale. We made it through another hell of a summer. The older I get, the less I can tolerate the heat.
Speaking of the earth heating up (and all of us being doomed unless we change our ways), last week I went to a screening of Groundswell. It included a panel of local activists and farmers talking about the power of regenerative agriculture to create more nutrient-dense food, regenerate the soil, and cool the climate. It was enlightening, inspiring and motivated me to try harder to source food farmed using regenerative practices.
Speaking of the earth heating up (and all of us being doomed unless we change our ways), last week I went to a screening of Groundswell. It included a panel of local activists and farmers talking about the power of regenerative agriculture to create more nutrient-dense food, regenerate the soil, and cool the climate. It was enlightening, inspiring and motivated me to try harder to source food farmed using regenerative practices.
On another note, the outpouring of love and grief following Dolly Parton's passing sent me down a rabbit hole into her history and legacy. I knew she was beloved, but I was eager to learn more, and here are a few things I found, only one of which I knew before.
The Imagination Library: Dolly founded the Imagination Library in 1995 in honor of her father, who could not read or write, and it has since given more than 300 million free books to children around the world.
The Buddy Program: To address her hometown’s high school dropout rate, Dolly offered seventh- and eighth-graders $500 if they partnered with a classmate and both graduated, helping the dropout rate for those classes fall from 35% to 6%.
“The House That Whitney Built”: Dolly used royalties from Whitney Houston’s recording of “I Will Always Love You” to invest in a predominantly Black Nashville neighborhood, later affectionately calling the property “the house that Whitney built.”
COVID-19 Vaccine Research: Dolly donated $1 million to coronavirus research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, helping fund research that contributed to the development of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
Investing in Appalachia: Rather than leaving her hometown after becoming successful, Dolly invested in East Tennessee through Dollywood and other initiatives that created jobs and supported education, healthcare, and economic opportunity in the region.
Rest in peace, Dolly.