This past Thursday was a full day, a day with plenty of emotions from sadness, pride, happiness and back to sadness.
For me, the day started with the funeral of U.S. President Jimmy Carter in Washington, D.C.
It was a wonderful send-off for the 39th President, complete with great eulogies, pomp and circumstance.
There have been 10 presidential funerals in my lifetime starting with Kennedy (1963), Hoover (1964) Eisenhower (1969), Truman (1972), Johnson (1973), Nixon (1994), Regan (2004), Ford (2006), George H.W. Bush (2018), and Carter (2024).
After viewing the funeral service of President Jimmy Carter, it just made me so proud to be an American.
To see all living Presidents and Vice Presidents present for the service gave me hope that one day things will be all right.
It was unimaginable to see Barack Obama sitting next to Donald Trump exchanging words mixed in with laughter.
It always seems that a solemn event like a funeral tends to encourage everyone to let their guard down, making things civil.
Carter, ever the peacekeeper, worked his magic one last time when even Mike Pence shook hands with Donald Trump.
I was looking at a few other presidents’ funerals online, and I pulled up Gerald Ford’s funeral service, one of the people eulogizing Ford was Tom Brokaw, the then NBC news anchor. Can you imagine a journalist being asked to speak at a presidential funeral today?
I don’t think we will be seeing David Muir eulogizing President Trump in the future.
All the trash talk on fake journalism started by Donald Trump over the years has really put a black dot on the industry. I can tell you there are plenty of journalists working hard in the field and newsrooms all over the country and world working their tails off to get products out.
I can also tell you that journalists don’t do it for the money; journalism isn’t a high-paying profession.
It’s also insulting to label a journalist “fake” when there are plenty of men and women, writers and photographers putting their lives on the line.
In fact, 122 journalists and media workers, including 14 women, were killed in 2024, according to the International Federation of Journalists. I’m pretty sure 122 loudmouth politicians didn’t die in the line of duty in 2024.
Talk about integrity and character. Presidents Carter and Ford were political rivals during the 1976 election when they faced each other, but it wasn’t until they were out of office that they began to work together on projects. Each time they were in each other’s company, they began to realize how much they had in common.
Today, they would call that a bromance, but back then, they turned out to be best buddies.
At one point, they made a pact to give a eulogy at each other’s funerals. That right is usually reserved for special people.
Carter held up his end of the bargain when Ford passed away in 2006, and Ford’s son Steven fulfilled his father’s wishes to represent his dad at Carter’s funeral.
Honestly, it was really special. If you get a chance, go to YouTube to find both speeches.
I had the privilege of photographing President Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, when they spoke at the Wyoming Monument in 2013. It was a great honor, even though it rained cats and dogs that day.
The Carters were friends with a high school classmate and her husband, Diane and Larry Cook, for nearly 25 years.
As the story goes, Larry, a history buff with a love for U.S. Presidents, wanted to meet a living President. So Diane, knowing President Carter conducted Sunday Bible service in Plains, Georgia, arranged a meeting with the two.
In a 2023 interview I conducted with Diane and Larry, she said, “We went down and took his parents and sister, and as we entered the church, there was President Carter, and we sat for his Bible service, which was fantastic. After the service, President and Mrs. Carter took a picture with everyone that waited.”
Diane went on to say how much in awe they were in the Carter’s presence and how friendly they were.
Eventually Larry reached out to President Carter thanking him for receiving them and how much they loved Plains. He also mentioned his background that included estate liquidation. Carter wrote back telling Larry they may need his services about liquidating his large presidential collection, and the rest of the friendship is history.
In 2015, during a solo visit back to Wyoming Valley, President Carter stayed at the Cook’s residence. That had to be an amazing memory. Heck, I can’t even get my bank president to visit me.
The Carter/Cook relationship was very special, and you know what else was special? Thursday evening’s Penn State/Notre Dame game.
For PSU fans, the ending wasn’t what you hoped for, but you have to admit, it was a great game full of excitement. It was a tale of two different halves.
Congrats, Irish.
Quote of the Week
“Like music and art, love of nature is a common language that can transcend political or social boundaries.” — Jimmy Carter
Thought of the Week
“Earlier in my life I thought the things that mattered were the things that you could see, like your car, your house, your wealth, your property, your office. But as I’ve grown older I’ve become convinced that the things that matter most are the things that you can’t see — the love you share with others, your inner purpose, your comfort with who you are.” — Jimmy Carter
Bumper Sticker
“Human identity is no longer defined by what one does but rather by what one owns.” — Jimmy Carter