THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM

I worked with the Manning family on Cape Cod from 1976 through 1986 in their various enterprises over those years. One of my roles with them was Director of Group Sales for the Soundings Motel, Colonial Village Motel, The Captain Williams House Restaurant and The Captain's Clambake Emporium Restaurant. We catered to a lot of motorcoach tours at that time and part of our marketing for new business was to attend the national conventions of the National Tour Association (NTA) and the American Bus Association (ABA).

One convention was held in Nashville, Tennessee. I was there and my friend Cyndi Miller asked if I wanted to go shopping with her at some local department store and then go over to the old Ryman Auditorium which was the original home of the Grand Ole Opry. I said sure and off we went.

We went briefly first to some department store and Cyndi was looking at some blue suede shoes on display. I said "Cyndi, if you buy these shoes can I step on them?". Cyndi didn't know what I was talking about and said "why would you want to do that?" There is an Elvis Presley song written by Carl Perkins called "Blue Suede Shoes" where Elvis sings "But don't step on my blue suede shoes.You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes."

We then went to the Ryman Auditorium and we were the only people there so I went up onstage and raised my left hand up in the air and pretended to sing the song "The Impossible Dream" while Cyndi took a picture with my camera so that I had proof that I sang at the Grand Ole Opry.