On July 6, 2012, I was lucky enough to be passing through Memphis, Tenn. One of my family members was having a birthday that day and rather than waiting until we got home to celebrate, I decided to stop in to see Graceland.

I wasn’t a huge Elvis fan growing up. This was partially due to my age. I turned 11 the year Elvis died, so the majority of Elvis’ career was behind him. I remember seeing a few of his shows on the television and he was struggling.

My image of Elvis was of someone who should not be performing live.

It always seemed like something was wrong. I didn’t know the whole story, so I had to rely on the media reports regarding his life. I never thought much about it until I stopped in to see his home almost 35 years later.

What I experienced on that July day was extraordinary. When I entered Graceland, I felt like I was in a nice family home. It wasn’t ostentatious, nor was the home that large. Most governor’s mansions are much nicer.

What made the home extraordinary was the vibe you got from it. You could tell there was a lot of family love there.

Elvis made a commitment to his parents that when he “made it” he would take care of them. He lived up to his commitment. His parents, Vernon and Gladys, lived there, as did his grandmother, Minnie Mae. His parents and his grandmother are even buried on the grounds of Graceland.

The tour guides spend a lot of time in the kitchen. They make a point of saying there was always someone in the house day and night. The family was very social, and people were always there just hanging out. Elvis had a lot of close friends in addition to the fact that his family lived there.

During the tour of the kitchen, I had visions of Elvis and his friends having a laugh while one of them made grilled cheese sandwiches. Elvis would be working on a new song, just humming a tune while he waited for the food to be finished. It also didn’t seem like people were there partying as much as just spending time with the family. This was a departure from the image I had of Elvis before my visit.

Elvis loved animals.

There were plenty of dogs, horses, peacocks and other animals located on the property during Elvis’ time at Graceland.

All over Graceland there were fitness opportunities for Elvis, his family and his guests.

There is even a racquetball court. Clearly, there was a commitment to fitness at Graceland. It was at this point in the tour that the question that has haunted me for 11 years came up. I kept thinking “What happened?”

If there were so many clues left there that Elvis led a full life devoted to family and other positive endeavors, then what caused his career and life to take a tragic turn? I am sure historians will debate this question for many years. I walked away with more questions than answers. It sure seemed like the reality of his life and the image portrayed toward the end were different.

Daniel A. Finnegan is the mayor of Ellsworth.