I wrote to President Jimmy Carter at the age of nine. The response changed my life | Opinion

Living in Hawaii at the age of nine, I wrote a letter to President Jimmy Carter. The American hostages in Tehran weighed heavily on my young mind, and I felt compelled to share my concerns.

I never expected a reply. If Santa Claus couldn’t write me back, surely the president of the United States wouldn’t have time.

But to my surprise, I received a response in March of 1980. While it wasn’t from the president, it was pretty close: It came from Hodding Carter III, President Carter’s State Department spokesperson.

I rediscovered the letter a few years ago while sorting through boxes at my parents’ house. Though I hadn’t seen it in 40 years, I had never forgotten Hodding Carter’s name. With the same name as the president, my nine-year-old brain made the logical leap that the response essentially came from the president himself.

It was both personal and official.

Typed in ubiquitous courier font on State Department letterhead with my name and home address in the corner, it was signed by Hodding Carter in blue ink. He acknowledged my young age, validated my raw concern for the hostages’ safety, and reassured me the United States was on it.

The letter had a profound effect on me, showing me that my voice mattered and that the government could respond to its citizens. It sparked a nascent understanding of public affairs that would go on to shape many pivotal choices in my life: majoring in journalism, serving in the military and pursuing a career in local government public affairs and communications.

But more immediately, back in 1980, it inspired me to run for student council when my dad got transferred with the Navy that summer to San Diego. I ran for secretary, having job-shadowed my beloved grandma, a professional secretary, that summer in Chicago.

That fall, the presidential election loomed large in the background of the Sunset Hills Elementary School elections. My campaign manager/mom crafted a winning, non-partisan slogan: “The Democrats have Carter, the Republicans have Reagan, but Sunset Hills has it in the bag with a Secretary named Megan.” We hand-wrote it on flower-shaped, construction-paper campaign buttons that I handed out to classmates.

None of us knew what “in the bag” meant, but it sounded confident. With my brother’s help rallying the second-grade vote, I won. I still have a few mimeographed meeting agendas and minutes — mementos of the only student government election I ever won.

President Carter’s influence on my life didn’t stop there: His work with Habitat for Humanity brought visibility to housing issues and showed us how we could help our neighbors. Years later, while stationed with Helicopter Combat Support Squadron 16 at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, our squadron built homes for Habitat for Humanity.

President Carter’s passing last week at the age of 100 brought these memories into sharp focus. They resonate deeply at this reflective time of year as we collectively close a chapter and open another.

The epilogue of his life has been defined by character, engagement and an enduring presence. It’s a reminder of the ripple effects our individual values and actions can have on family, community, world and, particularly, on a child.