Inspiration Boulevard

Though controversial during his presidency, but not so much nowadays, Ronald Reagan is a tremendous inspiration to me; a true hero in every sense of the word. And I'm a yellow dog democrat; don't believe in trickle-down economics, or Reagan's ignorance regarding the Iran-Contra Affar. But when I consider the ways in which he shaped and defined my lifelong ideologies and notions of what America is and what it stands for, I am forever indebted to the 40th.

School had been out for only a week or so. There was a copy of TIME magazine on my parents' nightstand. On the cover was a Soviet soldier with sheet-white skin, a shaved head, and cheekbones sharp enough to draw blood. It was my birthday; my mother was folding clothes; watching television; the usual. But today, it wasn't Bob Barker calling Jo Mama to "come on down." Today it was President Reagan calling on General Secretary Gorbachev: "If you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gobachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall."

We all know the story from there. Thanks to those pivotal speeches, it's nearly impossible to ever forget the message of his presidency. When I need a good-talking to, and no one is there to give it to me, sometimes there is time enough to read Emerson's "Self Reliance," but more often than not, 12 words of Reagan'll do the trick: THE FUTURE DOESN'T BELONG TO THE FAINTHEARTED; IT BELONGS TO THE BRAVE.