Would you have recognized this photo as being Willie Nelson? I didn’t. — Photo by Pat Bean
“I believe in the strength found in being yourself, and don’t give an elephant’s ass about trying to fit in or be normal. There is no normal. There’s only you and me.” – Willie Nelsol
An Unrecognizable Photograph
When I was in Nashville this past fall, I took a backstage tour of the Grand Ole Opry. At one point in the walk-through, the guide stopped at one of the 18 or so dressing rooms and asked if we knew the identity of one of the photos on the wall.
I’m ashamed to say I didn’t, even though it was the photo of one of my favorite musicians.
It was Willie Nelson, whom I spent reading all about yesterday in a little book called “The Tao of Willie: A Guide to the Happiness in your Heart.” I had picked the book up at the Opry’s gift shop but just now got around to reading it.
The familiar Willie on the cover of his book written with Turk Pipkin.
In the book, Willie talks about a time when he tried to fit in. I’m sure that’s the time when that dressing-room photo was taken because he hasn’t looked that way in years and years. The book is full of Willie’s wisdom gained over a lifetime, and some funny jokes some of which had me rolling on the floor. Here are a few of my favorite Willie quotes:
“We’re all angels flying too close to the ground.”
“Above all other things I believe in the universal truth of the Golden Rule.”
“It’s true. My heroes have always been cowboys …the cowboy way believes that if you do things according to that sense of right, it’ll work out to everyone’s advantage.”
And then these words from Willie that I especially like:
“At the beginning of this book, I wrote that if you love me you are my friend … but there are also exceptions. If you throw trash along the highways or foul our rivers, I’m sorry to say you are not my friend … If you think that people whose skin is a different color from yours are beneath you, you are particularly not my friend … And if you mistreat those who are smaller or weaker than you, you are not my friend.”
Machu Picchu. — Wikipedia photo
Bean’s Pat: Amazing Places to See http://tinyurl.com/an3w7yv Machu Picchu. My arm-chair traveling blog for the day. What an amazing place. Perhaps one day I’ll see it in person. If you have, tell me all about it
Pat Bean's blog 
Amazing
Thanks for this, Pat. Once you told me who that photo was, I could recognize Willie but otherwise I might only have thought, “I should know this guy…” and that’s it. I’ve heard of Willie’s book; I think I’ll have to get it. I have some cassettes of songs by Willie before he was Willie and I’ve been thinking of getting them out again. Maybe now I will. As an aside, my sister found an emaciated Pit Bull pup along the road a couple of years ago and named him after Willie, though she spells it differently, maybe because she knows he’ll never be “on the road again.”
As for our love of the road, Willie and I are kindred souls. And like him, it took me a lot of living before I learned some important lessons. Thanks for commenting Sam
Great Post – thanks for sharing! Happy Monday:)
You’re welcome, and thanks for commenting.
l’ve always loved Willie’s music and personality. I think I will need to get that book. I think he recently wrote another book with a funny title – but I can’t think of what it is.
I really enjoyed the book so hope you get to read it, too.
Amazing. I’m certainly glad Willie stopped trying to fit in and went back to being Willie. 😀
Machu Picchu is on my Bucket List. 😀
Me, too
What would Willie do?
WOW… i knew a bit about him (i adore him), but i never saw some of these quotes… i’m DEFINITELY saving these for another time, another re-use!!! what a wonderful man. THANK YOU!!!
You’re welcome Fey Girl. I loved the quotes, too