My Brush with Greatness
by Kevin Carpenter
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Governor
Jimmy Carter |
In the Fall of 1971 I was just 18 when I matriculated at Emory, having
canoed every river in the Hill Country but never having sat in a kayak.
As luck would have it, an introductory kayaking course was soon
scheduled… in the pool. On the appointed evening I entered the pool
building via the pump room. I was startled to see, standing on the rim
of the pool, a Georgia State Trooper. And in the pool, by himself, was
Governor Jimmy Carter in a fiberglass kayak. He soon departed and the
class came off. I have since placed an entry in a list I keep: “My
Brush With Greatness”.
As Governor, Jimmy Carter would go on to
legislate protected status for the Flint River. As President he would,
while paddling, whack a crazy rabbit.
- Kevin Carpenter
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The author,
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Kevin Carpenter |