Sunday, October 1, 2023

Atlanta Quilt Festival part 2, and Mr. Jimmy's 99th

Before I resume my post on the Atlanta Quilt Festival, I'd like to celebrate former President Jimmy Carter 99th birthday today. James Earl Carter, Jr. was born in Plains, Georgia, on October 1st, 1924, and this is where he still lives now. Plains is a small town of about 776 inhabitants, 2 1/2 hours south of Atlanta, and found among pine trees, peanut farms, and magnolias. The whole town is celebrating the 99th birthday of their beloved Mr. Jimmy, as they call him. Below, the National Park Rangers holding a birthday sign, courtesy CNN.
The Carter Center in Atlanta created a mosaic from the 15,000+ birthday greetings that have been received, so far, for Jimmy Carter. These came from celebrities, politicians, regular folks, from every state in the USA, from Europe, Australia, Africa and more.
In the last several years, Pres. Carter overcame a brain tumor, a broken hip and several falls. He entered hospice care last February. We thought the end was near but here we are celebrating his 99th birthday today. President Biden had a large happy birthday sign placed on the lawn of the White House. (Courtesy Atlanta Journal Constitution.) (Click on collage to enlarge.)
In my last post on the Atlanta Quilt Festival, part 1, I explained a bit about U.S. Congressman John Lewis (1940-2020,) a Georgia Representative, his life and achievements. There is so much more to tell about him as he accomplished a great deal. He had a fascinating life. He started in humble beginnings in cotton fields of the segregated American South. His parents' house had no plumbing or electricity. He ended as one of the finest Americans who ever lived. His life had not been easy, but he persevered. It was a joy to see him celebrated in colorful happy quilts. In my last post I showed quilts in the adjacent building to the Atlanta Southwest Art Center. In this post I'll show those exhibited in the main building, and there were many. Below is a quilt in honor of John Lewish' mother, Willa Mae Lewis.
In 2011, President Obama awarded Lewis the nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This was in gratitude for his more than 50 years on the frontline of the civil rights movement.
John Lewis wrote several books. I have some of them including his memoirs called "Walk with the Wind." I have not finished reading it yet, it's about 500 pages long. At the start of Covid I bought a mask showing part of one of his quotations "Good Trouble."
. The main building was filled with many other colorful quilts of various designs, floral, geometric and traditional. It was a feast for the eye and I took many photos, too many to show here or my post would be 6 pages long or more. I'll show some below while I'd like to address John's optimism and joy of life.
With all the horrible violence, hatred and injustice Lewis encountered you would think that he might have turned bitter or looking for some revenge, but on the contrary, he was always kind, generous and happy. He worked well in the Congress on both sides of the aisle, the Republicans and the Democrats. They all had the highest esteem for him and called him "the conscience of Congress."
My mother was also very optimistic all her life. I rarely heard her complain. She had been with my father when they had their head-on collision with a drunk driver. Both her knees were completely smashed and she could not walk. Then she was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and became partly paralyzed. Every time I called her on the phone, she always said she was feeling great and happy (even though all alone and unable to get out of the house for years.) But there are so many people who enjoy complaining. I remember as a child in France, we had a neighbor who was never happy. His wife had died several years earlier of lung cancer, even though she never smoked - but he did. He felt that cancer was her fault and it was not fair that now he had to take care of her little dog. We would see him in the street walking the dog; my mum would say "How are you, Mr. Vardin?" "Terrible, I could not sleep all night... must have been the food I bought at the grocery..." another time would be "I tried to weed my garden, it was muddy and I brought mud all over the house and there is no one to clean it ..." another time "I have an infected toe and now have to walk that stupid dog..." He had a sister close by but he said he had not spoken to her in years. He claimed she was nasty and it was her fault that they did not speak. Even looking at a lovely quilt, I think he would have found some fault in it.
I remember my mum telling me to stay away from people who are negative and constantly talking about their misery or bad luck. She said it could become contagious. I asked her "like a cold?" yes, she had answered. I thought she was kidding. But I found articles saying just that. "Emotions are contagious," wrote the Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Jung. Studies suggest that other people's moods may be as easy to catch as their germs. You can be infected with someone's happiness - or sadness. It is called emotional contagion (EC.) They found that upbeat emotions such as enthusiasm and joy, as well as negative ones such as sadness, fear and anger, can easily be passed from one person to another, often without either party realizing it. In addition negative emotions are more infectious than good ones. Dr. Elaine Hatfield, a psychologist at the University of Hawaii said "Emotional contagion happens within milliseconds, so quick you can't control it, and so subtly that you're not really aware it's going on." Some people have clinical depression certainly, but that is a mental condition that needs medical care. I'm just talking about the people who see everything black, often depressed, stingy with their money or feelings, are critical of others and are, in a way, asking for your commiseration or for you to recall one of your own problems.
Negative, complaining people would not see the joy of life in the above quilts, what we call in France Joie de Vivre. Instead they tend to be more anxious, and their anxiety prevents them from noticing the little moments of delight that could change their mood. If a family member or a friend is always whining about something, someone, or the state of the world, chances are that you'll soon feel down too. Both President Carter and Representative Lewis were kind, without malice, seeing the good in everyone and very optimistic. "Rejoice in the sky, in the sun, in the grass and trees, in the animals and people," said Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) Russian writer.
As for me, I feel happy and lucky. If I am blue, it is not because I am down in spirit, but like yesterday, it is because I was wearing blue. The day was lovely, not too warm only 85 F (29.4 C,) and the sky was blue. I wore a printed cotton blue top, light blue trousers and blue sneakers. My daughter and family took me to a southern "family" restaurant (I'll post on it next time) in a historical building. The food was delicious, the company was fun and it was a very enjoyable day. Blue reminds me of the sky and the sea rather than grief and bad mood.
John Lewis said "Be hopeful. Be optimistic. Never lose that sense of hope." He also said "Hate is too heavy a burden to bear. If you start hating people, you have to decide who you are going to hate tomorrow, who you are going to hate next week." As Lewis saw it, the answer was: "Just love everybody."
Here is another good quotation: "The Happiness of your life depends on the nature of your thoughts." Marcus Aurelius, (AD121-AD180) Roman Emperor and philosopher.
So keep happy thoughts, find joy in your life. Listen to music and dance in your mind. You may think that this is corny advice, but it has worked for me. When my late husband was toward the end of his Alzheimer's disease and could no longer speak, I'd bring music close to him on my iPad. He would listen and smile, and that made me smile, too, and still feel some happiness.
President Jimmy Carter and Representative John Lewis have had incredible, ethical lives. Georgia can be proud to have had two illustrious men serving the public - Jimmy Carter as Governor of the state, then as 39th President of the United States followed by decades as a worldwide humanitarian. John Robert Lewis was successful as a Georgia Congressman representing Atlanta in the United States House of Representatives for 33 years, until his death. They served their fellow citizens with diplomacy, compassion, honesty and skill. These are qualities to celebrate in politicians.
Before his death, on July 17, 2020 (from pancreatic cancer) John Lewis had penned an essay for the New York Times. This was published on the day of his funeral, on July 30, 2020. It was moving, filled with understanding and hope for the future. It was also a call to stand up for justice, to be motivated by human compassion. He eloquently had written: "Though I am gone, I urge you to answer the highest calling of your heart and stand up for what you truly believe." With inspiring words he told that each of us had a moral obligation to stand up, speak up and speak out. His last sentence was "So I say to you, walk with the wind, brothers and sisters, and let the spirit of peace and the power of everlasting love be your guide."
Both of these men are selfless role models who showed us the way to justice and a better society. Now it is our turn to continue their work - are we capable of the task? (Below quilt by Veronica Mays, called "Madame President.")

28 comments:

  1. Your posts are always a treat, and this one is inspirational too. You are so right about emotional contagion as well.
    Thank you.
    And thank you for sharing the beauty of the quilts as well as the beautiful of ethical men.

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  2. What an interesting post! I love Jimmy Carter and quilting and I'm happy Carter was honored on his 99nd birthday this way. I'm coming back for an in depth look at those fabulous quilts.

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  3. This is a most uplifting post! Your heart and smarts have uplifted me today! Thank you

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  4. Two inspiring men who should be role models for all Americans. Your words remind us of their good works. Ad the quilts! Oh, my!

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  5. Kay of Musings: This is such a beautiful testimonial for two very amazing men who wanted to do the right thing, the courageous, awesome thing not just for Americans, but around the world. I guess we have to just keep the faith that men like Carter and Lewis will prevail for the good of all.

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  6. What an incredible tribute to two exceptional human beings, and happy birthday to Jimmy today. I absolutely love ALL those wonderful quilts and am humbled by the art and effort they display. And as usual so good to hear from you and know you are "blue" in the very best way. :-)

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  7. Your post is just beautiful, and very thoughtful. You connected so many ideas using the quilts and the lives of these two American leaders. I hope you find time to post again soon.
    best, mae at maefood.blogspot.com

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  8. What a stunning collection of quilts. Thank you for sharing them with us.
    I was a little girl when President Carter was in office. I liked him then and I like him now. What a lovely human being who did much for our country. Happy Birthday to him!

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  9. Hi Vagabonde - this was wonderful ... and how lovely to see all the quilts ... so clever, so creative ... while John Lewis, and Jimmy Carter certainly inspire people. Brilliant post - thank you ... cheers Hilary

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  10. Those quilts are simply gorgeous and so varied.
    Jimmy Carter is a principled man - I wish him peace.
    Emotional contagion is an excellent description of the effect people can have on others.

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  11. Quelle belle puiblication Vagabonde !
    Belle histoire que celle de John Lewis et il se peut que vous fêtiez les 100 ans de Jimmy Carter.
    J'aime beaucoup les patchworks, je m'y suis jamais essayée.
    J'aime bien la citation de John Lewis à côté de sa photo.
    Bonne journée !
    Je t'embrasse.

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  12. When you see the heroes of the past, a president with values and civil rights leaders with principle and dignity, the collapse of moral leadership in America becomes depressingly obvious. It is hard to climb back out of the swamp once you are mired in it.

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  13. Each and every quilt looks speaking a lot with the sewers’thoughts stich by stich. Two men who worked hard for human rights and democracy are really worth not only American’s but also world’s respect.
    Yoko

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  14. What a great post. Jimmy Carter, a man with great principles and John Lewis, a man who always took on a challenge to make a better life for people. Thank you!

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  15. Hi Vagabonde, Jimmy Carter has undoubtedly been the best and most respected ex-US President for many, many years. He never stopped serving and trying to help people. We contribute to Habitat for Humanity every year...a great social charity. As for negative people, we just avoid them, even walking away from some folks over the years rather than listen to them complain and moan. Its harder to do with family though. My wife has a cousin who she doesn't talk to because he's such a downer... My mother was a negative person for the last 5 or 6 years of her life...while my wife's mother was never negative about anything. Some of our friends have stopped watching the news because its so negative and it drags them down... I tend to be a realist...pragmatist...but I don't dwell on the negative news that surrounds us in this political and world wide negative environment. Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

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  16. What a marvelous post! I am so glad that you linked the two together on here-Jimmy Carter and John Lewis!
    Do you know I sent Jimmy Carter a big THANK YOU card back earlier this year and got the sweetest response. Of course, I know the reply must be sent to anyone who sends a card but still, it was lovely.
    Love how they put his birthday cards together into a mosaic.
    And I love your writings about the quilts also!

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  17. A great post from start to finish, thank you.
    I so agree 'keep happy thoughts, find joy in your life'

    Sending good wishes for the new month of October.

    All the best Jan

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  18. I feel lucky that you stopped by my blog and left me a kind comment, which allowed me to find your very interesting and informative blog. Thank you for your thoughts on the 45rpm records … and, wow, 400 LPs … that really is a lot! 😊 In your post here you talked about emotions being contagious. Love what you wrote and it is all so true. Love the quilts! Amazing! Thank you for sharing all!

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  19. This is a wonderful post and beautifully illustrated, Saskia. Ah, Jimmy Carter. My favorite president and ex-president. I always look forward to your posts. I believe negativism is only contagious if one allows it to be. As you probably know, I tend to me largely an optimist, trying to see the good side in everything. For whatever reason, throughout my life I have known a large number of complainers -- I've worked with them, had them and had them in my family. Perhaps I attract them because I try very hard not to be. I've known people like your Mr. Vardin. It's one thing to be honest; another to not let it go. I try hard to never be like that.

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  20. Being optimistic is a great way to live. It keeps one always looking on the bright side which makes any tragedy feel less somehow.

    Thank you for visiting my blog. I am happy to have found yours now too.

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  21. Oh, how I love your juxtaposition of Jimmy Carter and John Lewis, Vagabonde, as our 2 unforgettable statesmen from Georgia. You have done a masterful job of presenting them both to us in all the positive energy they still give to this day.

    I also particularly like the quote by Marcus Aurelius: "The Happiness of your life depends on the nature of your thoughts." I absolutely believe in it and try to be thankful every day and all day long, no matter what. Thank you for the reminder! I know I would have loved your mom.

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  22. Very encouraging and optimistic post, Vagabonde. To love other people, not to hate, to help - these are the words of great people. Thanks for introducing me to them. I didn't know about John Lewis. Very interesting blankets, joyful and bright. I liked the dancing frogs and the woman with the word “love”.

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  23. This is an interesting post. It is important to honour people who have led amazing lives of service.
    I hear you about negativity. We've stopped seeing a couple of people for this reason.

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  24. Oh my, so many beautiful quilts! Being a quilter myself, I am always amazed at the time it takes to make every single one. Don't be afraid to post too many pictures. People can quickly scan over them or stop (like me), click on the image, and then slowly enjoy the details.
    Thank you for the time you spent sharing these pictures.
    Jeannie@GetMeToTheCountry

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  25. I am a great admirer of Jimmy Carter and John Lewis, amazing humanitarians. A lovely tribute to two great men. I loved all your photos of the quilts too. A splendid post, thank you!

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  26. What a very comprehensive and gorgeous post. Freedom is sooo precious! Thank you for reminding me.

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  27. I admire both JImmy Carter and John Lewis so I was very interested to see these quilts.If I had to choose my favourite art form, I'd say textiles. It's possible to use them in so many different ways, conveying interesting thoughts both beautifully and colourfully.

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