I’ve been tinkering with this site for months now, but haven’t written a single post. Little Jimmy Dickens died yesterday at 94, and that brought back a memory that I thought I’d share. So, in memory of Mr. Dickens, this will be my first blog post. I hope to end 2015 with at least 365 posts, and this is where I’m starting.
If you don’t know who Little Jimmy Dickens is, or was, you’re not alone. I had no idea who he was when I shook his hand either. Here’s the story.
It must have been 2004 or 2005 when I met up with a friend for a drink at a small Nashville bar that was close to the post Ryman Grand Old Opry. I worked at Collins and Aikman in Springfield, Tennessee, at the time, and my friend was a sales rep. He was meeting another customer from the area, and thought that we might have some similar interests outside of manufacturing, so he asked me to stop by. It sounded like a good idea to me as well, so I caught up with them after work. It was business as usual as we drank our beer and ordered food. جائزة رالي داكار 2023 That is, until this short, older man dressed in the most outlandish ‘cowboy’ outfit I had ever seen walked in the bar.
Because of his size, the ten gallon hat on his head looked more like a hundred gallon hat. I don’t recall if his suit was adorned with rhinestones or not, but from what I’ve read of Little Jimmy since, I wouldn’t be surprised. What I do recall is the amount of bling that he was wearing; gold chains, bracelets, rings, etc. Although I didn’t recognize him, many did, and this man was holding court in the little Nashville bar. He was very friendly, and made his way from table to table, greeting everyone that I could see, including us.
When he reached our table, he held out his hand, and we all shook it. It was the way he carried himself that spoke to me. This little man knew that he was a big deal. It wasn’t arrogance, but generosity that separated him from the countless other ‘stars’ that roamed the streets of Nashville. Yes, he seemed larger than life with his giant hat and thick nuggets of gold and jewels, but the look in his eyes was that of a man who was giving something back. The look of a man who was doing his duty.
Little Jimmy made a big impression right from the start of our encounter.
He didn’t stay at our table long. نادي ليفربول الإنجليزي He was friendly, and seemed to be measuring our reaction to his presence. Again, he didn’t come off as arrogant, simply kind.
When he left our table after a short visit, I asked who he was. My friend said, “Little Jimmy Dickens”. I didn’t ask too many questions then, but I called my mother the next day to ask if she knew who he was. Of course she did. She paused almost out of respect, then told me that yes, she knew who Little Jimmy Dickens was. She rattled off a bit of his history, her memories of his songs and his presence at The Grand Old Opry. Neither of us were star struck, so to speak, but she thought it was ‘cool’, and so I thought it was cool. And that was that.
Anyway, Jimmy passed away yesterday at the ripe old age of 94. It’s always sad when people die, but I felt a certain peace when I looked at his picture on social media, and remembered that he was a man who made the most of his time here. ما هو اليانصيب I watched several videos of him performing on YouTube before I got out of bed this morning, and clearly remembered the time when he stood at our table and relished not only in his fame, but in his duty as a ‘star’, to give all of himself to the people that allowed him a comfortable life.
R.I.P., Mr. Dickens. I believe that the world lost a good man yesterday. I’m certain that you will be missed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pzk4l2NYx_Y
