A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety
Written and Narrated By: Jimmy Carter
Length: 7 hrs and 45 mins
Changing times; unwavering values
Talk about a full life—this memoir by Jimmy Carter is sooo aptly titled. The man has seen and done it all, and this audiobook covers everything: Childhood, through politics, and on to life since the White House.
You’ll forgive me if I’m not super on top of what went on during Carter’s presidency, his policies and such all. After all, I was only a kid, super-awed that we as a family were going to Disneyland! Politics? Whazza?!?
So A Full Life was a really fascinating audiobook to listen to. It covers how difficult life was for him as a boy growing up in Georgia, though to him, it wasn’t considered difficult, but was simply life as he’d ever known it; and he was grateful for all that life bestowed. He had a stern father who gave few compliments, but Jimmy loved him dearly, respected him, did all he could to be a good and hardworking son—there is little to absolutely no rancor. Carter also speaks of his time when he was the only white kid around so, to him, playing fully amongst black kids, there was no racial divide. Not until they grew up and started giving him the right to go through gates and doorways first, something that has rather haunted him since.
He was tough. Hell, Rosalynn was super-tough! While Carter was deployed at times during his Naval career, she kept hearth and home together, raised children by herself, made ends meet even as they lived in public housing. And Carter speaks of those times as something he’s rather ashamed of, as he didn’t really consider Rosalynn, he just went along as “head of the house”, the only role that was modeled for him. So it was nice when he came to understand just how strong Rosalynn was, when he came to share major decisions with her (though his decision to enter politics? Nope, he decided without letting her know).
I found his recollections of his presidency to be most fascinating as some were familiar to me but not really thought of. Attempts at a Middle East peace, more normalization of talks with China and trying to promote democracy and freedom of religion there, Three Mile Island, the Panama Canal, all the attempts to further human rights and dignity throughout the world. He was one busy man.
And though the times were changing, sometimes drastically, when you listen to the audiobook, you’ll find yourself mesmerized because he speaks with such gentle peace and conviction. (By the way, I listened at x1 speed as oh boy! That southern drawl! Holy cow!). At times, I must admit I did wanna pop him upside the head because he always wanted to believe the best, even as they behaved in the worst ways. He’d say that he knew someone was lying but that he “felt sorry” for the person. That there were efforts to undo all that he’d accomplished, but he still has nothing but the highest regard for the people who were the wrecking crews (which should be a wonderful relief given today’s discord and name-calling but, alas, was only exasperating).
Still and all, no matter what, I just came to respect the man even more. Written in 2014, it says nothing about today’s political reality, but I’m sure he’d have only the gentlest of suggestions and admonishments. He’s just that kind of guy.
If you want an account of an interesting time of history and of the many, many achievements Jimmy Carter pulled off after his time in office, give A Full Life a try. It is refreshingly free of vitriol (not a smidgen!), and is full of love, faith, constancy. Quite a book!
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