Reader, I kept dreading it each time news feeds wanting my addiction, as promised to it’s advertisers; tried to get me to read an article about former President Jimmy Carter through ‘trending’ prompts. I did not want to see news that had announced his homecoming. Comfortingly, when I’d fall for their ploy I’d see that he was still alive and the significance of the post was that he was still alive and approaching 100 years of life. He met his one hundredth birthday this past year. He died yesterday. Ironically, I found out from some sports news site. A DAMN SPORTS NEWS SITE! It’s a telling reality that shows the extreme desperation outlets have in wanting to be the first to chronicle any event considered newsworthy due to the presence of the twenty-four hour news cycle.
I hate hearing about anyone I believe contributed to society in a positive manner, passing. Chalk it up also to living alone and it being a paradigm of me feeling that life is more fleeting and I’m more alone in an impersonal world where people only leave behind ghosts of memories. I’ve seen death affect me more than my married parents or married brother with a robust family of five. It chills me more completely since I fear at times I may not leave offspring behind. It is more biting with no one to bounce it off of or to insulate me from what makes life seem so callous. Yet, with President Carter, it was also trying because of the type of man he was as a citizen. I’ve sensed we were kindred spirits because he was our President in 1976, the year I was born. He was my president for a lifetime ingrained into my essence as an American because of that. It was the proverbial ‘cherry on top’ that he was also a southern man. One from ‘next door,’ one state over who saw strength and not liability in being secure enough to show a softer side of that gentility. It was amazing coincidence that he graduated from life on the same day that the Atlanta Falcons played the Washington Commanders. NFL teams representing two cities in which he lived and served the Americans graciously in office. As if God wanted what may have been his two favorite teams to play on such a day in honor of him.
His lose in 1980 to Ronald Reagan was more indicative of social and cultural dynamics than his competence. Much like what we witnessed in the presidential cycles of 2016 and this year. Whether people are critical or supportive of the memory of his service to our country has to do more with their ability to discern and reason than what historical reality states. It has more to do with what type of person they are from a values perspective. A crystalized summary of his lose for a second term has to do with how society was perceived from a cultural perspective at that time. As America wanted to turn the page from the ‘soft’ seventies back into a more traditional rugged chapter where men where less into feelings and compassion and more stoic. Years where they were more like John Wayne from an iconographic perspective. A time when our collective psyche was catatonic with fear concerning gender role ‘norms.’ History certainly does repeat itself.
President Carter’s homecoming is most deserved for so many reasons one can argue over any other former president in our nation’s history. Some would posit based off of his longevity alone. Yet, I hope it is because of what he stood for as an individual. A platform of mercy. One of forgiveness and an attempt the see the best in certain civilians who seemed to be devoid of the ability to offer just that. One of plain goodness we need as a society now more than ever. Jimmy, you may not have beaten Ronald Reagan in your last election, yet you whipped his ass in the game of life concerning technical longevity and visceral staying power for hope. Congratulations! I’ll attempt to carry on the tradition as long as I’m here to continue your accomplishments!
-J
#Jimmy Carter
#Ronald Reagan
#1980PresidentialElection
#AtlantaFalcons
#WashingtonCommanders
