Needed This St. Patrick’s Day – Ronald Reagan’s Spirit | Tom Purcell | Columns

But that was how he was: At the same time he was the world's most powerful man, the man who felled communism and restored American optimism, he was a man of youthful innocence who found immense pleasure in the simplest things.

When Troy finished, he handed the president the microphone. The normally raucous crowd became extraordinarily quiet.

Reagan spoke off the top of his head. He graciously thanked Troy for having him for lunch. He said it was a great surprise. He talked about his father, an Irishman.

"When I was a little boy, my father proudly told me that the Irish built the jails in this country," he said, pausing expertly. "Then they proceeded to fill them."

The crowd laughed heartily.

"You have to understand that for a man in my position, I'm a little leery about ethnic jokes," he said. The crowd roared. "The only ones I can tell are Irish."

He talked about a recent trip to Ireland. He visited Castle Rock, the place where St. Patrick erected the first cross in Ireland.

"A young Irish guide took me to the cemetery and showed me an ancient tombstone there," he said. "The inscription read: 'Remember me as you pass by, for as are you so once was I, and as I am you too will be, so be content to follow me."

As Reagan paused, the crowd eagerly awaited his follow up.

"Then I looked below the inscription, where someone scratched in these words: 'To follow you I am content, I wish I knew which way you went.'"

The crowd roared loud and long, causing the president to deadpan to his advance men: "Why didn't I find this place seven years ago?"

Reagen’s pub visit showed how eloquently the man was able to engage any audience, Republican or Democrat, just by being his genuine self.

Agree or disagree with his politics, he was able to work civilly and productively with political opponents to get things done for the benefit of all Americans.

We could surely benefit by embracing Reagen’s spirit this St. Patrick’s Day.

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Copyright 2021 Tom Purcell. Tom Purcell, author of "Misadventures of a 1970's Childhood," a humorous memoir available at amazon.com, is a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review humor columnist and is nationally syndicated exclusively by Cagle Cartoons Inc. For info on using this column in your publication or website, contact Sales@cagle.com or call (805) 969-2829. Send comments to Tom at Tom@TomPurcell.com.