My Favorite President

My favorite president of the United States of America lives at 209 Woodland Drive, Plains, Georgia in a modest ranch home he purchased in 1961. So, when Martin and I were to attend a meeting at St. Simon’s Island in Georgia, we decided to make a road trip of it and drive through Plains (population 640) to see where Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter were born, raised, and still lived. After all, we are practically friends.

When President Carter lost his re-election bid in 1980, I wrote him a letter offering my prayers for his life after politics and he wrote back expressing his appreciation. Then in 2011 when I was diagnosed with cancer, Stephanie wrote him and asked that he and Rosalynn pray for me. I got a lovely letter from them, and another one that Christmas offering their continued prayers.

In Plains, we stopped at a small café on Main Street and had lunch. Afterwards we toured the rail car that had served as his campaign headquarters for the 1976 presidential election. We then visited the Jimmy Carter National Historical Park housed in the former Plains High School where he attended school in his youth. The docent was from Connecticut and had retired and moved south for better weather and lower living expenses.

In our conversation, she shared that it is common for Mr. Jimmy (yes, in Plains they call him Mr. Jimmy) to lunch at the café where we had eaten. And when he does, he visits each table offering photographs and autographs. She said the table visits are likely done to forestall any tourists interrupting his lunch, but that he also just likes people.

She said she called his home once about museum business and was able to talk to him directly. While on the phone she audaciously asked him to come by for dinner. He asked Roslyn, confirmed they were free, and at 6 pm arrived at her door. She apologized for the menu. Her Connecticut grandchildren were in town and had requested pancakes for supper. He smiled that smile and said he loved pancakes. He and Rosalynn visited for a couple of hours.

We didn’t see the Carters while there – maybe they were on a Habitat for Humanity project. They have worked on 4,331 homes over the past 35 years.

"Habitat gives us an opportunity which is very difficult to find: to reach out and work side by side with those who never have had a decent home-but work with them on a completely equal basis."

Polls of historians and political scientists generally rank Carter as a below-average president. His post-presidential activities have been viewed more favorably than his presidency. 

But, my favorite president of the United States of America lives at 209 Woodland Drive, Plains, Georgia in a modest ranch home he purchased in 1961.

 "I have one life and one chance to make it count for something."  - Jimmy Carter

You have made your time count, Mr. President. And you have inspired me to try to do the same.