He shunned pomp of the presidency, even carried his own suitcase onto Air Force One, and has maintained that same humility since he left the White House in 1981. Former Presidents join corporate boards of directors and usually sign lucrative book deals. Carter said, "I didn't want to capitalize on being in the White House. It has never been my ambition to be rich."
He lives with wife Rosalyn in the two-bedroom ranch house in Plains which they built in 1961. He teaches Sunday School at the local Baptist church. Today, at 93, he does household chores like washing the dishes after he and Rosalyn cook dinner -- does charity work in Plains, as well as at his headquarters in Atlanta, while helping restore homes with his own hammer and tool belt, for "Habitat for Humanity." He stays on the peanut farm where he grew up during the Great Depression because "I can't imagine living anywhere else. We feel at home here--the folks in town, when we need it, they take care of us."
He writes in a garage attached to their house. His books include: "Palestine Peace Not Apartheid," "An Hour Before Daylight," "Our Endangered Values." (Received a "Best Spoken Word" Grammy Award for his recording of "Our Endangered Values." In March his latest book "Faith" was published and is now a best seller. Publicizing it he appeared on the late show.
Wowy wow! This very senior Senior Citizen -- his keenness, powerful sense of right and wrong and sense of humor -- he gets me looking forward to tomorrow, and gives me hope about growing older, working, writing/talking about what's on my mind till the very end of life arrives.
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