[Di]

"First I found Elvis to be a gentleman and then I found him to be a gentle man. I found he could be sensitive to small issues. For someone of his stature there is very little for him to notice,ya know? He was so insulated by the people that surrounded him and by his own popularity. And yet Elvis would still find little things. He took the time to be gentle with people."
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I believe the key to happiness is: someone to love, something to do, and something to look forward to. Elvis Presley

[Wanda June Hill]

Thanks for posting that Di, isn't it strange that people who worked with him on movies, stages and knew him in other ways away from those things, seem to have "got what he was about" so much more than those who "lived with him 24/7"? It just seems that way to me, the more I hear and read about what other people who knew him, even for a short while, seemed to learn more, pick up more and understand better---
even more than some members of his own family. Elvis liked Bill too, very much and had fun working with him. He was the first one Elvis told when he found out that he and Pris were having a baby-Elvis went to work and couldn't not tell someone he liked...so he told him and then he told Nancy Sinatra Jr....and they said he had tears in his eyes when he told them. This is the man who didn't care about any one or anything other than himself... hummmm says' who? or is it Whom? wjh
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Wanda June Hill
author of "We Remember, Elvis" & "Elvis - Face to Face"

[MaryInTheMorning]

I'd like to thank you too dear Di for posting Bill's thoughts about Elvis for us!! It was really great to read and warmed my heart to hear what Bill thought of Elvis. You are so right Wanda my sweet friend---Bill definitely did get what Elvis was about and it certainly does seem that those who were NOT around him "24/7" were ALOT more appreciative of him and observant of all of his many wonderful qualities!!! It is so much easier to appreciate what you don't always have all the time and it sure seems like the mm's basically just took EVERYTHING about Elvis for granted. Whereas his co-stars and members of his band fully appreciated, much like a fine diamond, all of the many beautiful and brilliant facets of Elvis, the "24/7" crew seems like they just came to view Elvis as just another piece of costume jewelry if you all understand what I mean?? Like you said Wanda, he supposedly didn't care about anyone or anything other than himself, but did any of those bozos who like to make such a hideous claim about this very loving man ever stop and think who took care of all of them even when they hurt him or betrayed him???? Somehow, I don't think so.

[FairyTale]

You Go Mari Girl! if anyone were only Thinking of Themselves it was The MM, they not only Couldn't but Wouldn't see Beyond Their Own Nose's! I have alway liked Bill Bixby, I would like to hear The MM Explain why everyone that worked in the Movies with Elvis or were in his Band never had a Bad word to say just Them? FairyTale!

[Amanda Viola]

Why should we judge those that Elvis forgave? Besides, each one has different "glasses" to see the reality, depending of the actual development moment of awareness we have, at any point of our own process of Life.

We are able to see Elvis in perspective -and it helps also- but proximity usually blinds us to vew subtle and un-expected trends of our spiritual humaness. Even himself was un-aware of his full potential... and he was far more "specialized" in spirituality that most of the people currently around him...
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Amanda Viola

"LOVE is what it's all about".

[Sarena]

[MaryInTheMorning]

Amanda my dear friend, I hope that you don't think that I was trying to "judge anyone" that Elvis had forgiven by what I said. I was not trying to by any means. I am certainly not anyone to sit in judgement of anyone else. I was merely trying to say how I felt based on reliable things that I have heard and read about the MM's. I'm sorry if it seemed liked I was being judgemental. Geeze, lately it seems like all I keep doing is putting my foot in my mouth with things I try and say or do. I guess I'll just keep a little more quiet from now on and hope that whatever I may say in the future doesn't bother or upset anyone.

[Amanda Viola]

Dear Mari,

I feel YOU ARE a beautiful, loving and balanced human BEING and I LOVE YOU.

My eagerness to try "prevent" a chain of emotional responses caused by a sensible theme of Elvis' life, is related to the respect I have for the road walked together here at this Forum the last years. Everyone of us may be identified with aspects of his human trajectory and we may come to see them with the "current" point of view, instead of a much deeper and meaningful spiritual understanding, that makes justice to Elvis role on Earth and also to the ones the people that were in relation with him played.

I'm withdrawing from many of my public presence and participation in several webs, because after an "expanding" phase, I'm going now through a "contraction" one, to get attuned for a new phase of expansion, which I don't know yet where will take me to. I'm posting very little these last times and I'm so sorry to cause you any discomfort.





Hey! Do you know that I YOU?
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Amanda Viola

"LOVE is what it's all about".

[Blue Moon]

Well let me throw in my 2 cents worth here.

There is a difference between judging someone and not excusing their behavior. They are NOT one and the same.

For example, a woman lives with an abusive husband who periodically beats her. She can forgive him, but does that mean she must live with him and endure more punishment? Does that mean his behavior should be deamed OK because it could be thought as "God's will"? She can forgive, not hold any grudges, and at the same time walk away to a healthier situation. We all make choices; good or bad ones. And while God can make good of even our bad choices; if we had listened to our intuition and made the "best" decision heaven had for us, I think in general our suffering would be less, though even so God will still put us through tests & trials at times.

Elvis clearly was a very forgiving man. And he forgave his men over and over again, even after betrayals. But I do sometimes wonder if he had trouble setting boundaries. He allowed people around him to force a burning of his spiritual books; be pressured to have Larry leave his camp for several years, and as a result, feel the need to inwardly retreat to some extent. While I am grateful Elvis had Larry for 2 seasons, it also seems to me it would have been better for Elvis emotionally if a few of his men had been replaced with ones who could give him more spiritual support or at the very least genuine respect. It doesn't mean all his men would have to be spiritually friendly because Elvis' light was meant to shine to others in need of it.

This is all easy for me to say in hindsight. Lord knows I have made many wrong choices in my life and paid for it. And while I know God can still make good from my poor choices, I know I'd be much happier had I a better grasp of my intuition when younger. Even now I struggle, though more chains are loosening as time goes by. I do think there is an optimum path for each of us. Few of us know ourselves well enough to be fully on it. It is comforting to know, though, that we can still gain wisdom from our mistakes. This is how loving a God we have.
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Laurie

It behooves one to sense God as dwelling within each of us, rather than as some distant entity, far above and seemingly beyond our reach.

[Di]

I could not have said it better.

Di
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I believe the key to happiness is: someone to love, something to do, and something to look forward to. Elvis Presley

[Wanda June Hill]

I agree Laurie, you pretty much put it right to the letter. Elvis was very forgiving, too much so at times I thought, but he lived with it and I didn't. He lay down his pride at times to help end problems, tried to intervene with his guys troubles until finally he "gave up" because no matter what he did, it wasn't enough and sooner or later they were right back to where it began anyway. He was no saint, he had a temper, he could be very harsh and mean when angry and he knew this and tried not to get into that mode though he said, sometimes "it happenes". He had trouble saying to the guys he was wrong or sorry I guess, more than he did to people he wasn't so close to maybe, and they admit that he tired to make it up to them in other ways...though he'd never forget any mistake they might have made. I know that's true! He remembered everything.

But bascily he was a nice guy, warm hearted and friendly and yes, he had ego problems at times, but he was raised by a woman who told him what he needed to hear-and made him have some sense of being special and able to do things if he worked at it. He always depended on her support-it was a rug jerked from his feet when she died so quickly, so unexpectedly at a time when he had been self obsorbed with his own having to go into the army and overseas and lose his career maybe-it was hard on him. He never recovered from her loss, that's my opinion and I'm not an expert in any way. But it seemed so to me...he always went back to those days, that time and it was always right there, just beneath the surface. His relatives say he changed from that day forward, became withdrawn at times, closed up and stopped being the boy they knew...that he grew up over night it seemed to them. I guess hard blows can do that to anyone, even Elvis.
Maybe it was easier for him to talk to people he hadn't known back then, his co stars all seemed to know him more than just what the mm guys and close family appeared to know and think him to be. Maybe he could talk better with new people, maybe that's why he grew to like talking on the phone-he didn't have to see expressions, he didn't have to mirror what they felt etc:...he could just say it and hear himself and maybe it was easier for him to do that. I don't know. I wish I could ask him. wjh

wjh
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Wanda June Hill
author of "We Remember, Elvis" & "Elvis - Face to Face"

[Blue Moon]

A thought occurred to me too that Elvis may have been conditioned due to events in his upbringing to try and keep peace in the family at all costs. Conflict avoidence in other words. Many kids grow up with this as a way to deal with painful situations, and they often bring it into adulthood, at great personal cost though.
I can definitely relate. I think about some of the things I've done, even recently, which I knew deep down were not the right direction for me yet I did them anyway to keep certain people happy. But every time I do that, I feel a little less free.
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Laurie

It behooves one to sense God as dwelling within each of us, rather than as some distant entity, far above and seemingly beyond our reach.

[MaryInTheMorning]

[Amanda Viola]

Pheeewww! Mari, you don't need to "Hara-Kiri" yourself, or to blame you for anything! I'm not upset and the angelic smiley with the fallen wings was a reference to YOU, being disturbed by ME.

I'm withdrawing from being in so many sites, following an universal law of Creation/Life: expansion-contraction. Nothing to do with anybody's behavior, but mine inner voice: the heart.

Everything is just fine, except my mother, who is having acute kidney disfunction and is right now at the hospital (I've just came back, after taking her there with urgency and after an initial treatment all day long). She is expected to remain there some days.

If you wrap her with LOVE's bubbles, she'll be really comforted and fine. Age (93) is demanding its toll.

LOVE YOU ALL!
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Amanda Viola

"LOVE is what it's all about".

[Wanda June Hill]

Hi Amanda. It's okay to retreat into your inner world at times-we do that to recoup and reactivate and realighn things.
Yep, 93 does that-Suzy too had kidney problems at that age and they fixed her up fine with a few days in the hospital and put her on pills that took care of problems she was having. She was not drinking enough water-people don't at that age for some reason-? And then she was losing control once they got her rehydrated so they had to regulate the water controling pills and now her feet don't swell, her skin is not red or splotchy on her legs and she feels good. And she's got it "under control" with the help of the nurse who makes sure she get s her pills every morning. She has three little ones, two white and one blue to take and then has one for her heart rate too. And she's doing good health wise, better than me in some instances! Anyway, people who have the genes to make it to that age are stronger than we think...they snap back pretty good. I think they are hardier than we are of this generation...
maybe we expect too much... for too long a time.
Miss your posts so when you get realigned I hope that doesn't mean you are "hushed" too?

Love,
wjh
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Wanda June Hill
author of "We Remember, Elvis" & "Elvis - Face to Face"