Thanks for sharing that, Dean. I'm sitting down trying to collect my thoughts for the post I'm about to do here in a few minutes. And I have some stories and will put them all in...your reaction is quite indicative. Most of us don't see many optimists in our lives...and seldom in public life..

As God as my witness, I got choked up too.

Back then, I parroted the Democrat party line, and even stirred up a fuss when I wrote a pro-Mondale op-ed for my high school paper which viciously attacked President Reagan.

As I grew older, I came to respect his leadership and his achievements, even though I didn't agree with them at the time.

The announcement of Reagan's passing left me with a lump in my throat as well. Regardless of what others may say of him and his life, he was a man who embodied statesmanship when America needed it.

I will miss him.