A Chance Blown? #blogboost

President Jimmy Carter, who was President from 1977 to 1981, celebrated his 95th birthday this week.

In 2015, he was diagnosed with  stage IV melanoma, highly aggressive.  He spoke for almost 40 minutes at the press conference where he announced his cancer diagnosis, dressed in blue jeans and a blazer.  But he is still with us.

Which leads me to how I blew my chance to see Jimmy Carter back in 2009.

I had gone to Americus, Georgia to visit the nearby Andersonville Civil War POW site and Plains, Georgia, the birthplace of Jimmy Carter.

While staying at a B&B, I was told that Jimmy Carter taught Sunday School every Sunday he was in the area.  He was still doing extensive travel for his charity and foreign relations work, and, when I looked up his schedule, it said online he wasn't going to be at church that Sunday.

I felt a little uncomfortable, being of a different faith, and decided not to go to the service.  The set up was:  service first, then the Sunday School.  You had to go to the service to go to the Sunday School.

If I had gone, I would have seen him, because, as it turns out, he did teach that Sunday.

We had talked about going back to Americus this past April (2019).  Jimmy Carter is still teaching Sunday School, by the way.  What a lesson in Profiles in Courage.

So the obvious lesson of this moment is:  Grab the moment.  Don't let the discomfort of a new experience keep you from a once in a lifetime opportunity.

But there's one more thing I wanted to blog about.

At the 2015 press conference, there was one last surprise.  I have blogged about my family history of pancreatic cancer (on both sides of my family) - an aunt, an uncle, and a great aunt.  It turns out that Jimmy Carter may have the most extensive pancreatic cancer history of any living person.

Pancreatic cancer killed his father, brother and two sisters (all of his siblings).  His mother died from breast cancer that spread to her pancreas.

But, despite all this, he plans to continue working as long as he can.    And, as of right now, he still is.

While I, drawing closer to age 67, waffle about retirement.

I am in awe of Jimmy Carter.  No matter what your politics, this man deserves our respect. 

Due to circumstances, I still may not be able to get away from Americus until next year.  And then - will I try to see President Carter teaching?


We'll see.

Day 5 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge #blogboost