What’s dominating headlines this morning, though, is the death of former President Jimmy Carter, the 100-year-old longest-living president of the US. All the tributes being raised are appropriate for no one deserves as much respect as does President Carter. You don’t have to look far to find lists of all his accomplishments and the challenges that cost him a second term. Thousands of people have stories of their encounters with the former president, most of which are overwhelmingly positive. I am fortunate enough to have two.
The first came in a reception line in 1997. I was photographing the event and it wasn’t until everyone else had filed through that I was allowed to meet the former President and First Lady. I wasn’t expecting anything more than a tired handshake and maybe a ‘nice to meet you’ or ‘thank you for coming.’ The fatigue was showing on the President’s face, the hour was late, and there was absolutely no reason for us to have a conversation. Yet, when I extended my hand, he took it firmly in both of his and held it. He smiled with that trademark smile and we talked for nearly five minutes, an eternity in presidential time. We briefly discussed photography and the event but quickly moved on to family, faith, and concerns about the future. He didn’t temper his statements to be politically correct. He was forthright and candid in his opinions. I left significantly more impressed than I could have imagined.
The second encounter was by chance in 2002. I was exploring numerous side projects at the time, one of which involved trying to get a grip on exactly what happened during the Iranian hostage crisis. At the time, there was still a lot of information that hadn’t been digitized, so my best resource was Carter’s presidential library. After pouring through pages of redacted documents, I stepped outside for a breath of fresh air. Off to the side, totally undisturbed and almost unrecognizable, was the former President kneeling down to tend to a young flowering plant. He was wearing jeans, a denim jacket, and an Atlanta Braves ball cap.
I had no intention of disturbing him; I had no right nor reason. He was busy working with the plant, as far as I could tell there wasn’t even Secret Service around (they were there, I just didn’t see them). I sat on a concrete bench and was looking through my notes when I felt a hand on my shoulder; it was the President. Smiling, he asked, “It’s Charles, isn’t it? I almost didn’t recognize you with the long hair.”
I started to stand but his hand sat me back down. “Don’t bother,” he said. “I was going to sit down anyway.” He inquired as to what I was working on and when I told him his expression and tone grew serious. He asked, “What’s your perspective?”
“It seems like it was a lose/lose situation no matter what you might have done,” I told him.
He nodded. “There’s still a lot that’s classified which prevents me from fully explaining our decision-making process at the time. Let’s just say that there are moments we can’t see clearly until we’re looking through the lens of the past. If I had known then what I know now, the situation would never have happened.”
We talked for almost thirty minutes, discussing the challenges of dealing with multiple concurrent crises, the politics of international negotiations, and trying to parent a rebellious child (Amy) while running for re-election. He talked openly about deception, political interference, and the loneliness of taking an unpopular stance (he wanted to officially recognize Palestine). He worried that 9/11 proved how vulnerable the US is and how the unpredictability of terrorism sometimes backs presidents into a corner. Winning isn’t always an option.
A phone call from his wife, Rosalyn, brought an end to our conversation. We shook hands and he went inside. I gathered my things and stopped for a chili dog on my way back to the office, pondering what had just happened. Such accessibility to any other president would be impossible. He broke the mold in ways we still can’t imagine.
There will be a lot said, a ton of analysis and re-examination, over the next week and a half. President Carter’s state funeral has been set for January 9. There will also be memorials in Atlanta and internment in Plains. People will say a lot of things, share a lot of memories, and build up a life that was unique in his public service.
I’ll sit here wishing I could have seen him again, had another conversation. I’m sure his perspective had changed even more over the years. He was an extremely intelligent and thoughtful person who never, ever stopped thinking.
His death closes one of the most chaotic years in memory. I’ll never forget the experience, the humanity, and the honesty of the gentleman from Plains. May he rest in peace.
We are at that point where end-of-the-year deaths are kicking in. Linda Lavin, who became a familiar face on TV playing ‘Alice,’ died yesterday at age 87. Charles Shyer, ‘Father of the Bride’ and ‘Baby Boom’ filmmaker, dies at 83. The founder of Cablevision and HBO, Charles Dolan, died at 98. At least 66 people died after a truck plunged into a river in southern Ethiopia. 18 passengers were killed in 2 separate road accidents in Pakistan. Indy’s homicide rate hit 200 yesterday, but overall, the nation’s murder rate continues to decline.
What’s dominating headlines this morning, though, is the death of former President Jimmy Carter, the 100-year-old longest-living president of the US. All the tributes being raised are appropriate for no one deserves as much respect as does President Carter. You don’t have to look far to find lists of all his accomplishments and the challenges that cost him a second term. Thousands of people have stories of their encounters with the former president, most of which are overwhelmingly positive. I am fortunate enough to have two.
The first came in a reception line in 1997. I was photographing the event and it wasn’t until everyone else had filed through that I was allowed to meet the former President and First Lady. I wasn’t expecting anything more than a tired handshake and maybe a ‘nice to meet you’ or ‘thank you for coming.’ The fatigue was showing on the President’s face, the hour was late, and there was absolutely no reason for us to have a conversation. Yet, when I extended my hand, he took it firmly in both of his and held it. He smiled with that trademark smile and we talked for nearly five minutes, an eternity in presidential time. We briefly discussed photography and the event but quickly moved on to family, faith, and concerns about the future. He didn’t temper his statements to be politically correct. He was forthright and candid in his opinions. I left significantly more impressed than I could have imagined.
The second encounter was by chance in 2002. I was exploring numerous side projects at the time, one of which involved trying to get a grip on exactly what happened during the Iranian hostage crisis. At the time, there was still a lot of information that hadn’t been digitized, so my best resource was Carter’s presidential library. After pouring through pages of redacted documents, I stepped outside for a breath of fresh air. Off to the side, totally undisturbed and almost unrecognizable, was the former President kneeling down to tend to a young flowering plant. He was wearing jeans, a denim jacket, and an Atlanta Braves ball cap.
I had no intention of disturbing him; I had no right nor reason. He was busy working with the plant, as far as I could tell there wasn’t even Secret Service around (they were there, I just didn’t see them). I sat on a concrete bench and was looking through my notes when I felt a hand on my shoulder; it was the President. Smiling, he asked, “It’s Charles, isn’t it? I almost didn’t recognize you with the long hair.”
I started to stand but his hand sat me back down. “Don’t bother,” he said. “I was going to sit down anyway.” He inquired as to what I was working on and when I told him his expression and tone grew serious. He asked, “What’s your perspective?”
“It seems like it was a lose/lose situation no matter what you might have done,” I told him.
He nodded. “There’s still a lot that’s classified which prevents me from fully explaining our decision-making process at the time. Let’s just say that there are moments we can’t see clearly until we’re looking through the lens of the past. If I had known then what I know now, the situation would never have happened.”
We talked for almost thirty minutes, discussing the challenges of dealing with multiple concurrent crises, the politics of international negotiations, and trying to parent a rebellious child (Amy) while running for re-election. He talked openly about deception, political interference, and the loneliness of taking an unpopular stance (he wanted to officially recognize Palestine). He worried that 9/11 proved how vulnerable the US is and how the unpredictability of terrorism sometimes backs presidents into a corner. Winning isn’t always an option.
A phone call from his wife, Rosalyn, brought an end to our conversation. We shook hands and he went inside. I gathered my things and stopped for a chili dog on my way back to the office, pondering what had just happened. Such accessibility to any other president would be impossible. He broke the mold in ways we still can’t imagine.
There will be a lot said, a ton of analysis and re-examination, over the next week and a half. President Carter’s state funeral has been set for January 9. There will also be memorials in Atlanta and internment in Plains. People will say a lot of things, share a lot of memories, and build up a life that was unique in his public service.
I’ll sit here wishing I could have seen him again, had another conversation. I’m sure his perspective had changed even more over the years. He was an extremely intelligent and thoughtful person who never, ever stopped thinking.
His death closes one of the most chaotic years in memory. I’ll never forget the experience, the humanity, and the honesty of the gentleman from Plains. May he rest in peace.
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