The Home Where Elvis Was Born

Elvis' parents wanted a home before Elvis was born, so Elvis' father, Vernon Presley, borrowed $180 from the man he worked for at the dairy farm. "$180?" you might ask, "Did he borrow that money to pay the closing costs? Is that what closing costs were back then?"

No, $180 was the amount he needed to build the entire house. I know, I know - that won't even buy a front door these days. Times have changed.

Sadly, a few years later, Vernon Presley could no longer afford to pay the bills. The home was repossessed. Times haven't changed so much after all. 

Little Elvis and his family moved back home with Vernon's parents. 

These days, foreclosures seem like something new. It is as though foreclosures are a trend (that is, a very unfortunate trend) that just started coming into style four years ago and they just won't go out of style. We all want this trend to exit as soon as possible. We panic that things will just get worse and worse. 

Well, let's just take a look at Elvis. He was born into a family that could only afford to spend $180 on their home, and it was still too difficult to make ends meet. But, doesn't that home feel like such a special home to you? Doesn't it just warm your heart to imagine Elvis as a little toddler wandering around that house, laughing at new discoveries? I can just imagine his parents delight when he took his first steps in that home. 

That $180 was money that was very well spent. Even though they lost the home, that money built the place where Elvis was born. In a sense, it was the birth place of rock n roll. 

It must have been heartbreaking and traumatic at the time for Elvis' parents to have to move out of their home. It was a home that Vernon, his father, and his brother built together. It was a home where Elvis' mom gave birth to Elvis and his twin brother, who was stillborn. 

His parents didn't know it at the time, but their sad story would one day be an inspiring one. Their story is a reminder of what can happen in America. A baby in America can be born in a small town in Mississippi into a home that gets repossessed just a few years later, and that baby can grow up to be the biggest star of all time. 

Who knows what the future will hold for those who are having tough times today?

As Robert H. Schuller once said, "Tough times never last, but tough people do."

Thank you to geraldwithahardg for posting your visit to Elvis' birth home on YouTube. 

Thank you to Vernon and Gladys Presley - for Elvis.

For those who want to see more of Elvis' birth place, look here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7d8xXO-SvI

"I'll Remember You" by Elvis (a tribute to Elvis with Elvis photos): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnmDubfMVrQ&feature=related