Do You Remember?

Where you were on August 16, 1977? I do.

Many of you may be too young to remember the significance of that date, but for my family it was a huge event.

I was 9 years old, just 12 days short of my 10th birthday and I had spent the day at the beach with my family when the news arrived that Elvis Presley had died. My mother and stepmother were huge fans of Elvis so I grew up with all things Elvis and I am proud to admit that I loved him a bit too. I even thought my daddy looked a lot like Elvis.

I watched all the Elvis movies with my mom and thought Blue Hawaii and Clambake were the best movies ever. *g* And i'm completely surprised that I didn't wear out my mothers 45 record of Hound Dog. For me it was just one of those songs that made you want to dance.

Now it's 31 years later and I have a teenage daughter who thinks Elvis was a beast. (a beast is a really good thing according to her) Because her grandmother's loved Elvis dearly she too was exposed to his music early and loved it as well. I think I have a picture of her when she was about 5 or 6 holding up a new Elvis poster she'd gotten as a present. If you go in her room today there is an Elvis poster along side her Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom posters. That's how enduring a presence he has had on our family.

A couple of years ago she even made a trip to Graceland with her father and came away even more fascinated than before. It's amazing to me what an effect an incredible celebrity can have on our lives.

Not everyone was old enough to remember the day Elvis died, but I bet they remember the day Diana did.

So in honor of Elvis and the impact he has had on my family, i'm listening to his music today as well as some tribute videos as I continue to write like a madwoman trying to make a deadline.





Have a good one!

Eliza