Maybe it was Memphis

By Kennie Everett

So there we were, standing outside the doors, and waiting to go in. Even though it sounds ridiculous, I remember being nervous. I don’t know why. Worried, I’d be disappointed? Never! Y’all, it was terrific. Smaller than I anticipated but beautiful all the same. I may never get over the thought of having carpet in the kitchen! The grounds were nothing short of magnificent; green as leprechauns shorts (in Florida, the grass just is not grass; it is harsh, brittle, and uncomfortable to sit or walk-in). Graceland, I stood just outside her doors, and my childhood came rushing back from memory.

I remember sitting in restaurants as a young girl along with my younger sister and parents, and we would play our version of “20 questions”. We’d ask each other silly things like, “if you could be a bear, what kind of bear would you be?” My Dad would always pick a Black bear, and Momma would say a Panda. Or “if you chose the year you were born, what year would you choose?”. Of course, my sister and I would choose to make ourselves older because everything is fantastic when you are older, right?

I always had a sense of knowing that I wanted to travel the world one day, and thus, one of my questions would always be, “if you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?”. The answers were still the same; Hawaii, or Alaska, or New York. I always thought to myself that they were not thinking big enough! (Not that those places aren’t beautiful and whimsical in their own right!) I knew I wanted to go places! I wanted to see architecture and Renaissance art; to experience all the World had to offer!

As children, my parents were not able to travel; we come from a small town in Kentucky, and visiting far off places just wasn’t something that happened for many people, so naturally, travel just was not on their radar.

My Momma, Cindy, and I grew up together. My parents are young parents, and really, they sacrificed a lot of their happiness and life moments to provide for my sister and me. At times, that felt like a struggle. I think it did for her too. I know the difficulties I have faced, even by choice, for my children, while being an adult, so I can only begin to imagine the way she felt at times, even when she denied anything bothered her. I think there were also times we resented one another, and the life choices we either followed or ignored. I wanted her to be healthier in her mind for herself and our home life, and she wanted me to slow down and listen to her more often (and in many areas maybe I should have). I would even say our relationship was tense for many years, but then one day, out of the clear blue sky, she decided she wanted to go on a trip with me.

A trip! By this time, I was in my 20’s and a self-proclaimed “World Traveler,” and after all, I was! I went to a handful of places in Europe when I was 17 with my AP Art History class. Folks, I had seen the Sistine Chapel, the Eiffel Tower, the Pantheon, and Parthenon (admittedly, I still mix those up at times). I had lived. Or so I had thought.

But where did Momma want to go? England? Paris? Tokyo? I kept imagining these romantic places with classical art themes and deep red wine. I sat on needles waiting for the return text to reveal where she had in mind.

Graceland, Memphis, Tennessee. She wanted to visit Elvis. I love Elvis. Always have and always will. Even have a daughter named after him. My Momma was not thinking BIG, but she was thinking of me, and something she knew I would love.

A few months later, we jetted off from Orlando and made it to Memphis. Our first real trip anywhere, and alone as adults. Just when I thought I wanted wine and Escargot, I was falling in love with rides in a Pink Cadillac and beef tips from Marlowe’s Tavern.

The simple reason I am an Elvis fan is that my Papaw Don was (Grandpa for non-Southern folk). He bought me every VHS tape and magazine that he could get his hands on. “Viva Las Vegas” could play on the record player in a moment’s notice, and it often was. We were inseparable for a long time. When he passed in 2010, it was sudden and unexpected. He never had the opportunity to visit Graceland. Maybe she chose it because she missed him and knew I missed him?

As I took those first steps between four grand, white columns, into a place that held such wonder for me, I knew this trip was special for both of us. We were here, together, for our entertainment but also in the spirit of my Papaw. I have never been able to figure out why he never visited here himself. I’ll never know.

All the memorabilia, the suits, the records, they were breathtaking. Did you know that inside Elvis’ racquetball court, the walls, from ceiling to floor is, covered with awards, plaques, vinyl records, photos, and more? It took my breath away. So much talent, so much heart, and soul cover those walls.

The two of us created an opportunity to bond during this trip, and I know she walked around Graceland, thinking of her Dad, and I pray it brought her a little peace.

Hours later at Sun Studio, I did something I never imagined I’d do; I held, in my hands, a standup microphone used by The King, himself, and many other era rock stars. I joke now and say, “Elvis and I caressed one another through time.”

That night, she and I walked down Beale Street together. We shopped and waltzed through an art gallery that was exhibiting photographs from the Civil Rights era. We had Hurricane’s at Jerry Lee Lewis, and let me say, that Grenadine will sneak up on you! Together, we listened to a phenomenal live band. The day before our return home, we called a cab and had the driver drop us off at the Memphis Zoo. Know what kind of bears they have there? Panda bears. My Momma’s favorite. She must have stood and watched these bears for an hour straight, and we even went back to them before we finished for the day. It kind of amazes me how much she loved them.

The next day we headed back home to Orlando, both a little sad to leave, but oh so thankful for our time there.

Know what is crazy? We argued a handful of days earlier. I threatened not to go. I still feel wrong about that. Our mothers always try to make us understand what is right for us because we are their babies forever. I know this now. They are not right about everything, but they are following their instincts, and that’s all they can do.

Since our time in Memphis, Momma has become a “World Traveler,” and I think it is safe to say we are officially one another’s favorite travel partners. She has seen the sands of Hawaii, Bahamas, and Mexico, ridden trains through Italy, and eaten Parisian cuisine atop the Eiffel Tower. As silly as it sounds to say, I am thrilled at the woman my Momma has become. She was once afraid to grow as a person, afraid to step outside the unknown, afraid to find something that brought her great joy.

She has realized the World is a mighty overwhelming place that she can meet a little at a time, and I think maybe it was Memphis that showed her the way.