“Tell the truth and learn how to serve as many others as possible.”
Those were words that Jimmy Carter — who died at the age of 100 on Sunday, Dec. 29 — shared with me back in 2017.
I never met the former president, nor was I alive during his presidency. But I am around today to see the online conversations surrounding his career over the past day focusing primarily on his life after he left the White House in 1981 — specifically, his humanitarian efforts.
As an entertainment journalist, my family and friends often ask me to describe the notable figures I encounter. Well, while I never met Carter, we did correspond once. It’s not something I usually bring up in conversation, but given the stories coming out about his character, I’d like to highlight the kindness he showed me, a then-aspiring writer, during his final years.
Before the spring semester of my freshman year of college in January 2017, as staff writer for my student newspaper at 18 years old, I wrote a letter to The Carter Center requesting an interview with the former president. Months later, he responded, teaching me a valuable lesson in what it means to offer encouragement to those who seek it.
Jimmy Carter delivers his Fireside Chat in February 1978.
Hum Images/Universal Images Group via Getty
In early 2017, I was new to journalism. I joined the University at Buffalo’s independent student-run publication, The Spectrum, the semester before as a contributing writer. I barely had anything published. But like with anything, my writing improved the more I worked at it. So right before the spring semester kicked off, after a few man-on-the-street interviews around campus, I decided the natural next step was to try my luck at interviewing a former U.S. president.
A ridiculous long shot.
The process wasn’t entirely foreign to me. In elementary school, I would send questions on index cards to fan mail addresses for my favorite musicians and actors. Some occasionally responded, including Betty White, who I consider the first person I ever interviewed — another story for another day.
As for Carter, however, I’m not sure what compelled me to send that letter. The chances of a former commander-in-chief receiving an interview request from an 18-year-old kid over 800 miles away felt incredibly slim. And him responding felt impossible.
Still, I decided to write to the 39th U.S. president, included a separate document with four questions for him, and mailed it out to The Carter Center’s address in his home state of Georgia.
I don’t recall how long it took for Carter to get back to me — the envelope with a return date is scattered somewhere among my personal archives — but I vaguely remember returning to my grandparents’ home for break weeks later to find a letter from Jimmy Carter sitting on my bed. He responded.
The questions I asked Carter were relatively short, just as his answers were. I asked him about his favorite memories in office, his life as a former president, his thoughts on Donald Trump’s first weeks in the White House and, naturally, if he had any advice for students aspiring to become politicians.
When I opened the envelope, I found the document hand-signed by Carter in blue pen. A few months later, I had it authenticated by Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA), confirming that he, indeed, answered my questions on his own accord.
One answer still stands out to me today, when he described his life post-presidency: “I consider these to be the best years of my life.”
Jimmy Carter attends a book signing event on March 26, 2018 in New York City.
Drew Angerer/Getty
His responses aside, what really struck me about our exchange was the fact that, 40 years after taking office, Jimmy Carter still made time to answer his mail, give a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to a young journalist and offer advice for future generations.
I honestly couldn’t tell you how common it is for former presidents to open up to young writers. But what I can attest to is that Carter’s letter taught me the value of offering encouragement to those who seek it.
Even when I eventually put down the pad and pen decades from now, I want to still be an active member of society and, like Carter told me nearly eight years ago, continue to serve as many others as possible.
