A Class Act

I went to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library today. As we approached the front door, I recalled my earliest memory of our 40th president: in fourth grade, my class wrote letters to President Reagan. Awhile later, we got a letter back, along with a picture of him on horseback for each of us. My teacher made copies of the letters for each of us. I still have the letter and the picture in my scrapbook.

As I toured the library and museum with my family, one thing stood out to me (and it wasn't the overabundance of jelly beans). What caught my attention was how classy Mr. Reagan was. From his early days all the way through his presidency, he had style and class and professionalism. One of the tour guides mentioned that he wore a suit and tie everyday in the Oval Office out of respect for the position. The man is the leader of the free world, he could go to work in a bath robe if he wanted to. But no, out of respect for the office, he wore a suit and tie.

Everything else in the museum, in one way or another, pointed to this aspect of Mr. Reagan. He was a consummate professional. I think he brought to the office of the president what the office needs and deserves, something I think it has lacked since he left office.

I was talking about this with my dad after our visit to the library. He brought the conversation around to our president-elect, Mr. Obama. Now, I try to avoid politics here at ThoughtbyWolf, but I do want to make this one comment. My hope is that he will rise to the occasion and be the president that the 53% of Americans who voted for him hope he will be. In addition, I hope he will be a classy president. I hope he will restore to the office the respect that it is due.

My visit to the library that is only a few miles from my house gave me a new respect for the president of my childhood years. It also deepened my respect for the office itself. My hope and prayer is that those who, in the future, sit behind the desk in the Oval Office live up to the position to which they are elected.