Sad news about Jimmy Carter and his cancer diagnosis today. As a President he may not have been that effective, but as a former President, he’s certainly made his mark. His work in election integrity around the world, Habitat for Humanity and as a human rights advocate will he his legacy. Seems like his Presidency will be the footnote in his biography.
I remember the day Carter left office and Reagan was sworn in. I went downtown for the Inaugural parade with my friend Jan. We were standing waiting for Reagan to come by and a group of Hara Krishnas were dancing around in front of us. It kept us entertained for quite some time.
Then the news came that the Iranian hostages had been released. There was a cheer in the crowd and then when when Reagan came by, there was huge applause and cheers from the massive crowd. Carter had worked endlessly to try and get the hostages out before the end of his term. President Reagan sent him as his representative when the hostages were released. That must have been a tough assignment.
We should all have the chance to reinvent ourselves as President Carter has. He could have easily gone back to Georgia and stayed out of the spotlight but he’s taken a number of chances and risks to improve the world. His cancer, based in the liver, does not sound like it can be treated successfully. I wish for him peace and comfort as he faces this challenge.
I looked to see what songs were popular during his presidency and surprise, surprise, I have a few on my IPod. I thought “Don’t Stop” was a good choice.
spooningwithsmokey 