Brian’s Reflection: Wednesday, January 20, 2011

You'd be surprised how much it costs to look this cheap!

It's a good thing I was born a girl, otherwise I'd be a drag queen.

I wanted to be the first woman to burn her bra, but it would
have taken the fire department four days to put it out.

I modeled my looks on the town tramp.

Dolly Parton, fun and talented lady; she was
born on this day, 1946 (she’s older than I am!!)


I’m not a Country & Western aficionado, so I haven’t listened to Dolly singing more than once or twice. But I loved her in “Steel Magnolias”. And I love anyone who can tell jokes on themselves! I suppose that anyone who would say things about herself as I’ve quotes Dolly could be hiding a horrible self-image. But I don’t sense that about Dolly Parton. She sounds like she’s got her personal act together. She knows herself, Dolly does – the wonderful things, her talents ….. and the things you have to laugh at.

Her comment about looking cheap reminds me of one of my very favourite cards. On the front is a woman looking like Tammy Faye Baker – lots of mascara, super-producted hair, piles of makeup. She says, “Lord, I’m sorry about the money.” You open the card and it says, “Bein’ pretty ain’t cheap!” I keep a copy of that card, scanned into my iPhotos, and I look at it quite a lot. It just makes me laugh ….. and it reminds me not to take myself too seriously – or a lot of other things for that matter, including Politics ….. though I could get better at that!

Knowing and owning our sillinesses and stupidities is a sign of wisdom. Laughing at them is a sign of spiritual health. It helps us to see that they need not control us, and that helps us to be free of their control.

One personal memory always makes me chuckle. I was visiting a priest friend in England. My mother had flown over with me to share the adventure. We spent the first day with Derek. Next morning at breakfast (after daily mass, during which Derek’s slobbering English Bulldog sat on the altar step drooling), Derek with a smile said to my mother, “Mrs. McHugh, I can already tell that you are naturally a kind and caring person ….. unlike your son, who has had to be softened by Grace - and still has a long way to go.” Derek was/is right ….. and it taught me to laugh at my opinionatedness and try to be open to “softening”!

Thanks Dolly!

Brian+