A Full Life
Reflections at Ninety
By Jimmy Carter
“Grow old along with me, the best is yet to be,” this quote
from Robert Browning, could be a great description of this optimistic book by our
thirty-ninth President, Jimmy Carter. I
was privileged to briefly meet the President, when he was at Third Place Books signing
this 29th book he’s authored.
His warmth, humor and optimism comes through immediately in person, as
it does in this book.
Jimmy Carter at 90 reflects back on his full life, and the
reader is treated to an in-depth description of the events and people who
shaped his life actions and decisions. It
seems he’s packed several lifetimes into one, and as he quipped to one of the
people at the book signing, “I’m not done yet.”
He was born in 1924, and I enjoyed reading about his
childhood in rural Georgia, a life very foreign to what I’m used to. There were many parts of his life that I
wasn’t aware of, and it was interesting to see, in hindsight, what he felt led
him into the next stages of his life.
His time in the Navy was riveting, and how he came to the decision to
return to Plains, Georgia to be a Peanut Farmer and business man. His caring for the people in his community is
what led him to government office, beginning locally. His election campaigns really showed his personal
connection made with the electorate. It
also gave a glimpse from comparison how very different times have become.
The strength of his convictions carried him through a tough,
and also incredibly giving and meaningful life.
I was fascinated by the information about his Presidency, what he felt
his priorities were and why. He is
consistently very good about letting you know the why’s of his times. He’s honest about his regrets, and humble
about his successes. He also shares his
reflections on current events and times.
And this book has a wonderful, unexpected treat inside. The President has included some of his
wonderful poems that he’s written throughout his life. He includes the poems he wrote at the different
times of his life. They are often
insightful. He also includes personal
photos and copies of his own paintings.
I especially like the painting he’s titled Home in Plains.
We’re fortunate to have available the reflections of this
humble, sincere man who was the thirty-ninth President, was awarded the Nobel
Peace Prize in 2002, who with his wife founded the Carter Center – a nonprofit
organization dedicated to improving the lives of people around the world. He’s still living a full life, and we can all
learn from his tales of caring, perseverance, staunch belief, and moral
character.
Thereby hangs a tale . . . .
No comments:
Post a Comment