‘Jimmy Dunne Says’

The Palisadian-Post presents an homage to Will Rogers’ column, “Will Rogers Says,” with a column by Palisadian Jimmy Dunne—on life in the “greatest town in America.”

I stopped by the home of a fantastic Palisadian couple: Ann and George Smith. Ann invited me to see her wonderful butterfly garden.

Ann and George are on the back sides of their lives; yet, more than ever, jumping headfirst into so many pools to selflessly make the world a better place.

Ann showed me her milkweed plants where the caterpillars spend their days with all their caterpillar pals checking out the garden looking for more fabulous meals on the leaves.

Life is pretty dandy for a caterpillar. Great digs. Great outfits. Lots of buddies. Getting fat and happy.

And looking at those caterpillars I was thinking about how, in the second half of their lives, the caterpillars do something absolutely wild. And daring. And full of adventure.

They reimagine everything.

The caterpillars create this cocoon for themselves where they go inside and dream. About whom they want to be for the rest of their lives. The caterpillars dream about places they’d love to visit. About how they’d love to lose some weight. And how they’d love to do something that’s always been on their “bucket list”—they’d love to fly.

Why not?

The caterpillars want to let the world see the very best of who they have the potential to be. And they know—now’s the time.

And they line up all their ducks to make it happen.

They say goodbye to things they thought they needed—and away they go on a new life adventure. They drink well. They travel with their best buds. They spend time with the love of their life. They look and feel great—flapping their new-found wings. They make the world a better place.

All in the autumn of their wonderful lives …

Watching a bunch of butterflies flying around Ann’s garden, I was thinking about so many friends in town who have chosen to be butterflies.

Maybe that’s something I’ll dream about tonight in the lovely cocoon of my home.

Being a butterfly.

Jimmy Dunne is modern-day Renaissance Man; a hit songwriter (28 million hit records), screenwriter/producer of hit television series, award-winning author, an entrepreneur—and a Palisadian “Citizen of the Year.” You can reach him at j@jimmydunne.com.