September 3, 2026
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Deep Something

The site for ranting and reporting by John Masters

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The World Needed Dolly Parton

B. John 105 Views 0 Comments , , , , ,

Long before Dolly Parton became a superstar, I met her at a little outdoor music park near Kings Mountain. I am not even sure she was the headline act. It was a fleeting childhood encounter, but it connected me, however briefly, to a woman whose generosity would eventually touch millions of lives.

Dolly created jobs, helped students stay in school, supported families devastated by wildfires, funded research behind the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, provided free college education to thousands of workers, and delivered more than 332 million books to children. She also stood firmly with the LGBTQ community, even when doing so cost her support among some fans.

Dolly Parton wrote songs the world will always remember. But the most beautiful thing she created may have been the life she chose to live. Read my tribute to a woman who proved that success means far more when you use it to lift others.

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Ripples of Hope
Society Stoicism Featured Politics 

Hope in the Ripples

B. John 1158 Views 1 Comment , , , ,
This entry is in the series Journey Through Stoicism

When 150 people filled the hall at Hyde Park United Methodist Church, the room carried more than a discussion of housing, immigration, education, and inclusion. It carried hope. The kind that comes when people realize their voices matter more when joined together. The Stoics referred to this as sympatheia, the understanding that our lives are intricately woven into a larger fabric.
That same truth also lives in smaller, quieter ways. My mother’s 36 years as a school nurse left ripples she never saw. Children who learned, grew, and passed her care forward to their own families. Hope is born in those ripples. It is sustained when we draw our circles of concern closer, strengthen the hive, and trust that even small acts of justice will carry further than we can measure.

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