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Hi Reader,

When I was a kid, I'd tell my parents I wanted to live to be 100.

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I had (and still have) so many things I wanna do, and places I wanna see. To my mind, I'd need at least a hundred years to try to pack it all in.

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That's partly why I got swept up in the stories and events around President Jimmy Carter's passing a few weeks ago.

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Not only had he lived to be 100, he'd packed a LOT into those years.

He was also the first American president I became aware of, through his work in and after his presidency.

As I watched coverage of his passing, the tributes, and finally his funeral services, the full measure of the man began to take shape.

Some saw him as a tough guy, ready to win in a battle of ideas, or ready to help build homes - on site, with his hands - well into his 90s.

Others knew him for his true heart, staying married for 77 years, or staying the course to eradicate devastating diseases.

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He also had an encyclopedic knowledge of music, and bonded with the Southern rock bands who raised funds to help him get elected President.

So, to mark the moment of his passing, I decided to cover two songs that capture the heart and soul of this centenarian.

The first one is (no surprises) Georgia On My Mind, popularized by Ray Charles.

Willie Nelson performed it at Pres. Carter's Nobel Peace Prize ceremony.

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I discovered this second song, by chance, just a few weeks ago. It's Kane Brown's 2022 song "Bury Me In Georgia," and turned out to be a perfect tune for Pres. Carter's farewell.

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For no matter how far he roamed, and how much good he sought to do in the world, he always went home to Plains, GA.

And he made sure to do whatever he could to serve and uplift his Plains community.

If - unlike me! - you didn't spend the last few weeks immersed in Pres. Carter's world, this video from a local Atlanta news station will get you up to speed. And if you need a dose of warm and fuzzy hometown feels, this video will hit the spot. ✨

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Jimmy Carter was America's 39th President.

In a few hours, as I write this, America will inaugurate Donald Trump, its 47th President.

So much has happened, and changed, between their two presidential terms. Not only in America, but in the world.

Despite these changes, I hope to take a page out of Pres. Carter's book of life... in how to be a tough guy 💪, guided by a true heart 💜.

And in how to live to be💯. ✨

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Rock on, Reader ✌️

Want help to bring more peace into your world?

​Take my 2-minute "What's Your Jam" quiz and learn what your favorite songs say about you.

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