Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter are celebrating 76 years of marriage.
Love stories are always good for the soul, and former president Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn still give us all the feels. The Carters celebrated 76 years of marriage on July 7. That’s right, 76 whole years of matrimony, which is longer than some of our parents have even been alive.
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter met in Georgia when the former president was on leave from the U.S. Naval Academy after his younger sister set them up on a date. The two married a year later in 1946 in Plains, Georgia. In 1953, Carter left the military after his father died.
Funnily enough, Rosalynn never thought she’d get married. During their 75th anniversary celebration she explained how she used to tell her mother to tell the boys who called that she wasn’t home in an effort to avoid going out with them. She recalled, “I didn’t know how to talk to them, I didn’t want to go out with them.” Thankfully something changed when it came to her now husband of 76 years. The pair are the longest married couple of all former and current presidents.
The Carters traveled together during his presidency.
www.flickr.comThe couple, now both in their 90s, became involved in politics when Jimmy won a seat for the Georgia Senate in 1962, which eventually led him to being the peach state’s governor before heading to the White House in 1976. While her husband sat in the Oval Office, Rosalynn became an outspoken advocate for mental health. She helped the passage of the Mental Health Systems Act of 1980 while serving as honorary chair in the President’s Commission on Mental Health. The law helped focus on the mental health of minority populations and rights for mental health patients.
President Carter still volunteers, even in his 90s.
www.flickr.comAfter Carter lost his re-election to Ronald Reagan in 1980, the couple continued their humanitarian efforts outside of the White House. They continue to work with Habitat for Humanity building houses in underserved communities, something they help with even to this day. In 1982, they started The Carter Center, which educates the public and furthers human rights initiatives.
Seeing the pair remain so active, especially watching them help build houses into their 90s, is always inspiring. Unfortunately, the pandemic sidelined some of their efforts, but the Carters were some of the first people to roll up their sleeves to get vaccinated against COVID-19 so as to get back to doing some of the things they love, one of which is being active in their local church.
During an interview with the AP in 2021, the former president said, “My biggest secret is to marry the right person if you want to have a long-lasting marriage.” In the same interview, Rosalynn commented, “Jimmy and I are always looking for things to do together,” then emphasized, “each should have some space. That’s really important.”
At this point, we can collectively agree that the Carters are an American treasure. Their long history in advocacy and humanitarian efforts are more than noteworthy. Here's wishing them another fulfilling year of health, marriage and life.
"Now your fishes will be warmed."
"To have one’s eyes lined with ham."
"To lay your head in water."
"Repetition teaches the donkey."
"I only understand train station."
"To speak directly from the liver."
"Horse horse, tiger tiger."
Beaver in water. Photo by 
An actual beaver dam on the now-thriving Price River
Medusa image of giant squid in Gulf of Mexico off of Mississippi Gulf CoastPhoto credit: 
Sign warning against feeding alligators next to alligator in Mississippi marshlandsCourtesy of Jacalyn Wetzel
Mississippi Gulf Coast beach in BiloxiCourtesy of Jacalyn Wetzel
2009 photo of giant squid caught in Gulf of Mexico near Mississippi GulfPhoto credit: 
Thank goodness this story has a happy ending.
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."