2/22/23, Jimmy Carter, Extraordinary Man

Hi Everyone,

I hope all is well, and that all is fine in your world. I was very touched by the mention of Jimmy Carter going into hospice care at the age of 98. It will be a sad loss for us, of an amazing human being when he is gone. And I hope he is having peaceful, comfortable days now. Reading about him, he is really one of the unsung heroes, and perhaps less appreciated presidents of our times. I was reminded of the one time I was privileged to meet him and Mrs. Carter, who was also a lovely person when we met.

Growing up and schooled in France, with European parents, then married in France, I’ve never had much interest in or knowledge of American politics. All I knew about Jimmy Carter was that he had been a peanut farmer, which didn’t sound too exciting. My knowledge of American presidents other than Abraham Lincoln and JFK has always been limited. Years after Carter was president, after my son Nick died and I wrote the book about him, His Bright Light, I won a string of awards for my hands on work with the mentally ill, and then the homeless, and out of the blue, I got a personal call from Jimmy Carter, who asked if he could come to San Francisco and meet with me and have dinner. I was famous by then, but no President had ever called me to have dinner. I was flattered and curious and said yes, with no idea what his politics had been.

The Secret Service took my house apart, rode up and down in my elevator for hours, checking that there was no bomb in it, vetted my staff. Jimmy Carter flew to SF as promised and came to dinner with me at home. I was expecting “the peanut farmer”. Instead, I was stunned, he was absolutely brilliant, did extensive good works for the mentally ill, was rebuilding several villages in Africa, supplying food, water, medicine, rebuilding large parts of Africa to supply water and food, doing research on extensive subjects at his foundation, and he just wanted to talk to me and find out first hand what I’d learned about mental illness and homelessness. I was blind sided. I’ve rarely met anyone as kind, caring, compassionate, and incredibly smart. Really, really smart. He must have been a more remarkable president than most people knew, and certainly a better human being than most. I was stunned that he flew out to have dinner with me, and he was so unbelievably smart and knowledgeable, and interested in the world, determined to use his fortune to help others and make the world a better place. He must have been in his 70’s then, full of energy. I never saw him again, but he was definitely one of the great surprises in my life, and truly admirable people.

With him in the news today, I read several quotes by him, and I came across one that really stopped me, and reminded me of what a great human being he was when I met him.

“I have one life and one chance to make it count for something. My faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I can, whenever I can, for as long as I can”/ Jimmy Carter.

What an incredible motto to live by, and he has. Whenever he goes, he will have fulfilled his dream, and the dreams of many many people to make the world a better, safer, healthier, kinder place. Whatever his politics, he certainly lived his life well, for others. However long or short our time, how amazing if we could live by that, if we could dedicate our life to others with that kind of certainty, and make life better for others. And what a shame there haven’t been more presidents and people like him, to inspire people, to show us all his shining example of helping others in a sincere, humble way. Anyway, I loved the quote and wanted to share it with you. And he was lovely with my children and all my employees when he came to dinner. He spoke to each of them, no one was too young, too old, too small for him to spend a moment with them and make them feel special. What a wonderful, wonderful, extraordinary man he is. I am truly honored to have met him even once.

Have a great week, love, Danielle