Guest Journal

Faithful column readers are familiar with my policy of rarely publishing unsolicited transmissions, said policy having stood me in good stead. However, on rare occasions, I receive a journal of such a poignant nature that I feel it incumbent upon me to share it with my readership at large:

As I was taking my air on a walk through the park today, my ascot and tam protecting me against an unusually brisk New England afternoon, a young man tread across my path, and being of an intellectually curious bent, said to me, "Hey, mister. I’ve been reading about this President Reagan. You must have been alive when he was President. What was he like? He seems like he was a righteous dude."

Ah, the inquisitiveness of the young. I wish I had had an opportunity to answer that young man before he was shooed away by an overprotective guardian.
I shall answer him now. Righteous dude, indeed. President Reagan, or Papa Reagan as he became affectionately known to his countrymen during his term of office, serenely sailed the ship of state for eight years with nary a ripple appearing on the surface. He was beloved by Americans of all ages, races, creeds and social standing. His popularity was such that he never had to veto a bill as no legislation of which he may have disapproved was ever submitted to Congress. His Democratic opponent for reelection went on national television and subjugated himself in abject apology for being placed in the untenable position of challenging Papa.

The only blip in his eight years was when a small, dangerous group of fringe crackpots attempted to make out of whole cloth a scandal in regards to the work of a military hero in fighting for freedom for a tiny, oppressed country. The nation waited expectantly as Papa went on television to explain, as surely no justification was necessary, his role in these events and whether we as a people should be worried. In a master stroke, he said not a word; rather he softly, almost imperceptibly, shook his great leonine head from side to side, and the moistened glint in his eye let us know that we should not concern ourselves, and the scandal quickly faded into the vapors.

I hope, one day, to again see that young man in the park.