Former US president photo op here

Jimmy Carter has been someone I have been cursed with photo op wise. Let us recap some of my misses

1) Book signing where I got 3 books signed. He didn't do photo ops and despite my attempts after the signing I failed to get a photo op. 

2) At one function he was doing, it was a choice between that and Steven Tyler's outgoing. Since it was raining and cold and the Carter spot had a garage, I chose to go for what seemed like more of a guarantee. Indoor, a nice guy, spot where I historically have had success, and no secret service. While I was successful with Steven Tyler, Turns out Jimmy Carter didn't use the garage and actually did photo ops 

3) And another spot he was supposed to appear at. Got up in the crack of dawn to make this one. Arrived and there was NO secret service at the spot! Turns out he CALLED IN rather than appear! I ended up attending a Mario Andretti signing that day. 

4) There was yet another book signing he did, but I couldn't make that one. While he still didn't do photo ops, it was still a chance to try, and I feared it would basically be it for Jimmy Carter. After all he is born in 1924. 

5) Then I got a tip for a flight on him. YES! There is HOPE! I went to the airport, and turns out they exited him right off the plane and drove him from the runway! Wasted time and money 

Then one random night in early August, I was relaxing at home and I get a call to find his outgoing. 15 minutes later I hit the jackpot! 

Sadly it was early in the morning. But as the saying goes, you gotta play to win. 0% chance the combo Gods would provide a Jimmy Carter photo op if I stayed home sleeping. 

So I got up early and arrived. We are a total of five people. Carter arrives and signs for two people! I try to go up and a secret service agent goes STAY BACK STAY BACK while a cop tells me to stay back as well and they physically block me from approaching. I go "ok, ok"

Then Carter walks towards the stairs and as he passes by me I politely ask for a photo op and he speaks in a very soft and reluctant tone saying "I guess so". I quickly go next to him and blast that selfie  

FINALLY I HAD THAT JIMMY CARTER PHOTO OP. My reaction was this face 

After I get my photo op he signs for another grapher! 

Completing my Jimmy Carter combo, I went home victorious! Given his age who knows how many more chances of Carter I'll have. 

Now some may ask, "how could you do all this, weren't you afraid of secret service"? 

Well, there were other things I was afraid of more than secret service or cops. Namely 1) putting all that time, money, and effort for nothing (yet again) and 2) losing what may be the very last chance I ever have to get that photo op. 

Jimmy Carter photo op

Jimmy Carter signing, with me in the background behind the cop and secret service agent who yelled at me