Hang On, Jimmy
You know, nobody was a fan of Jimmy Carter back in the day. In his time, he was considered one of the most ineffective presidents in history. As my old pal Brian Trealease used to say, “The poor bastard was a one-termer.”
Say what you may, but that peanut farmer has always been a man of grace and dignity. Name one politician you can say that about today. And after his one term was up, Jimmy was one of the most active and effective former presidents we’ve ever had. He picked up the stick on human rights issues, peace negotiations, Habitat For Humanity, and the eradication of infectious diseases. He was even awarded a Nobel Peace Prize.
A couple days shy of his 99th birthday, having been treated for every ailment in the book, it’s safe to say ol’ Jimmy has one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel. But don’t count him out yet. When Jimmy went into hospice care, they thought he’d be gone in a few days. That was more than seven months ago. Maybe it’s all the peanut butter ice cream he’s eating. Or the hopes of seeing his first-place Atlanta Braves make it to the World Series. For Christ’s sake, the other day he was spotted out and about at a local peanut festival.
Jimmy still lives in his old two-bedroom, one-story rambler in Plains, Georgia. A home so modest the Washington Post calculated it was worth less than the Secret Service vehicles parked out front. Here’s hoping Jimmy makes it to 99 this Sunday. Hell, hopefully he hits 100. As the Sinatra tune goes, “I’m gonna live until I die and I’m gonna laugh instead of cry.” So goes Jimmy.
Keep your dukes up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9024VFH8rQ
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