You may think that a president will not choose to live a modest life after leaving the White House because he is used to a certain lifestyle, but it seems that former President Jimmy Carter is proving to us that this is not necessarily true.
Jimmy Carter is the oldest president who has ever lived so far and he is now 97 years old.
After leaving the White House, the former president and his wife decided to live in the house they built together in the 1960s. The two have a strong relationship, being married for 76 years.
The house is located in Plains, Georgia, where Jimmy Carter was born on October 1, 1924. Jimmy was born in a small town of only 600 people, but his family was known to the locals because his father was a successful business man and his mother was a nurse loved by the others locals in town. Jimmy and his family stayed in their hometown for a long time, and the former president went to high school there. In 1941 he finished high school and dreamed of joining the army, just like his father. At first Jimmy chose to go to Georgia Southwestern College but later decided to transfer to Georgia Institute of Technology. In 1943 he was admitted to the Naval Academy, where he met Rosalynn, his current wife. Jimmy said he simply felt compatible with Rosalynn when he met her.
The relationship started after their first date, when they went to see a movie together. Jimmy was determined that Rosalynn was the woman he needed, so in 1946 the two married. After graduating, Jimmy was assigned deployments in the Atlantic or Pacific fleets and Rosalynn accompanied him every time. Although Carter was to be included in the following projects, he was forced to leave the Navy when his father fell ill and died in 1953. Jimmy Carter decided that it was best to continue the family business.
Following this decision, Jimmy and Rosalynn returned to live in Plain. They already had 3 children, but they dreamed of raising their family, which is why Jimmy built his family a ranch-style house. That house was ideal for him and his family and they lived there until Jimmy got involved in politics. However, he showed how much he loves the house he built because he chose to move back when he retired from politics.
Jimmy said he did not want to take advantage of the popularity of his presidential time. Although he knows that many former presidents decide to take advantage of this, he does not blame them and does not consider this to be wrong. Jimmy also said that he never aspired to be a rich, popular man or to live in a big house worth millions of dollars.
He said his claims were true because he had financial problems after retiring and his business was in debt for $ 1 million, so he decided that the only option was to sell it.
He later realized that he enjoyed writing and began writing about his life and career. He and his wife can live comfortably because he has an annual pension of $ 217,000 and receives an income from the sale of his books.
It is to be appreciated that the two choose to have a modest and quiet life. In a 2011 interview, it was revealed that Jimmy often chooses to buy clothes at the local Dollar General and fly commercial, not private.
According to the 2019 fiscal year budget from General Services Administration, Carter cost taxpayers $ 456,000 compared to $ 952,000 that was budgeted for former President George H. W. Bush. Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama each cost taxpayers $ 1 million.
Jimmy Carter is also a man who helps the community in which he lives, he even was a teacher at Emory University for 37 years, but also at Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church. He was absent only once in class, when he had surgery back in 2019.
Another noteworthy thing about Jimmy Carter’s charitable work is that he helped build and renovate more than 4,300 homes in 14 countries.
Rosalynn said that every time she and her husband renovated their house, they decided to do it on their own because it was an activity they enjoyed and because they had experience. She said that after working together to renovate so many houses, they knew exactly what they wanted and what they needed to do to get the expected result. Their house looks exactly as we all imagined, cozy and warm. The two seem to be the kind of people you like to spend time with and learn from.
Jimmy Carter is known as a person who helps those around him without expecting anything in return. In his free time he chooses to relax at home, dine with his friends or talk to his wife. It’s great that the two get along so well after 76 years together.
Jimmy said he felt at home in Plain and could not imagine living anywhere else. He also said that their neighbors help them every time they need and are lucky to live in such a great community.
Jimmy Carter is a man who shows us that not everyone wants to benefit from the popularity they have. He wanted to have a peaceful life that would bring him fulfillment and happiness, which is why he can be an inspiration to us all.
