Don’t Even Mention Retirement Around Dolly Parton

“It’s my therapy. My guitar is my friend. When I’m in that zone I call it my ‘God zone.’ I just love that time.”

To the people who hate Dolly Parton I say … wait, nobody hates Dolly Parton. She’s one of the most universally revered human beings not just in North America, but in the entire world, regardless of how you feel about country music. And though it’s her music that has made her who she is today, it’s her work ethic and dedication that has also inspired millions of people to persevere through life’s struggles. Raised in a small cabin as one of 12 siblings in dirt poor conditions, and now 73-years-old who who knows how much cash in the bank, Dolly Parton isn’t planning to slow down anytime soon.

Upon the occasion of Labor Day in the United States, Dolly Parton was asked in an interview in CBS Sunday Morning (see below) if she was pondering retirement, or ever had before.

“People always say that, ‘Why don’t you retire?’ And I say, ‘And do what?’ What does that even mean? I could never do that. I always count my blessings more than I count my money. I don’t work for money, never did. It was the art, it was the job. I love the work. And I’ve done well and I’m thankful for it.”

For Dolly Parton, music has been a lifelong pursuit, starting at a very young age.

“I guess I was about 10 years old. [It was the] first time my uncle took me to sing in front of an audience. And it was when they kept clapping and clapping after I had finished my song that I felt something. I was scared, I was nervous, I’m a country little kid. But when I got that applause, and got that feeling, that’s when I thought that this is what I think I’m gonna do.”

But it has also come with sacrifices. Dolly Parton’s impact on children has been huge, as a performer and role model, and also through her book program that has provided millions of books to underprivileged families from Appalachia to around the world. But she never had any children of her own. When asked if she regrets it, Dolly’s response was,

“No, absolutely not. It wasn’t meant to be, and I don’t regret it. I never regretted it. It was a choice. You make your choices. You make your sacrifices. And I never look back. I knew early on that I was going to walk that road ’till God told me to stop. And I’m still walking it, and he ain’t said nothing to me about quitting yet.”

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