I was watching the group of folks discussing President Reagan on C-SPAN, including Peggy Noonan. She mentioned an appearance of President Reagan in 1984 at the school called the Crimson Tide. (that would be the University of Alabama.) Husband has told me of this appearance many times. Peggy's point in her story was that the young folks at Bama "got it" and that those young folks are now 40 and they "get it." She could not be more right. I called husband at work to tell him about what she said, and he had to tell me again that the best part of Reagan's trip to Tuscaloosa was a stop he made at a McDonalds on the way to the airport. I guess that President Reagan saw the McDonalds and said he wanted to eat there. They stopped the motorcade, sealed off the restaurant to anyone else who might want to come in, and the President went in and ate at McDonalds for the only time of his presidency. (to hubby's knowledge) The folks who were already inside were invited by the President to join him, and hubby believes that President Reagan paid for everyone out of his own pocket. Then he went on his way.
Years later, I ate at that McDonalds a number of times. There were pictures of the President on the wall. They were mighty proud to have served him.
Nice story. President Reagan was a real man.
This has probably been said elsewhere, but it occurred to me yesterday - The boomers came of age this week; their eternal adolscence is over. They are old enough to have witnessed Reagan's presidency, the media coverage of it, the truth of it and the results of it.
They married and had children who learned about America through the lens of the Clinton years.
Now we have had almost 4 years of George W Bush as president.
The contrasts and the message of the contrasts are inescapable.
So boomer parents (or younger parents) have a wonderful opportunity to see what can be a better future for their children, if the values that made America great can be continued, rather than following the self-indulgent values that made us weak.
President and Mrs Reagan are giving us a great gift this week.