MY WORKSITE EXPERIENCE WITH THE FORMER PRESIDENT
Photo by Robin Jonathan Deutsch on Unsplash
It was the early days of Habitat for Humanity, still somewhat controversial in the 1980s south. I had signed up with a group building a couple of houses in Atlanta.
The second weekend of our project, here came Jimmy Carter, in overalls, with tool belt. (Rosalynn, uncharacteristically, wasn’t with him. She might have had a cold.) There must have been Secret Service people around; maybe they had to pitch in. I remember almost nothing about the day other than how hard we worked. Days started early and ended late, but we didn’t finish our house as had been the plan.
What I do remember was showing up the next day to finish the job. And turning around to see that Jimmy Carter was already at work.
If only I’d had an iPhone.
He was a good man. Habitat is a good org. My mom helped found the chapter in my hometown in south Texas and she and my Dad used to bring my sister and I along to deconstruction projects as kids.
Good for your mom and dad! ❤️🙏❤️
He was an unusually fine person. Unlike the president-to-be.
Indeed. It was a rare period of time when we could hold up to our children and grandchildren the president of the country as someone to emulate. Though Joe Biden is unquestionably a good man, and Obama had all the characteristics we hope to teach kids like honesty, compassion, integrity, oh me. Not for the next four years.
Wow! What a cool experience. He was an incredible human!
There won’t be another any time soon. Unfortunately — at least not in the White House. 😢
No i phone but your brilliant memory! And your long life of service and contributions to humanity. Thank you!
In hindsight it would’ve been nice if I’d exchanged more than 3 words with the good ex-prez — or, “Jimmicahtuh,” as he would say, holding out his hand as if nobody knew who he was. But as is, it’s enough to recall being in that construction group. And he was the one who contributed to humanity. Really thoroughly good person, imagine having a throughly good & selfless person to run the country. ❤️