Two Deaths

The death of Ronald Reagan didn’t move me at all. Even though I was unable to understand his huge popularity in life, I was still bowled over by the sentiment and grief expressed by my fellow Americans. It was as if he had become a deity overnight. I did feel for his wife, who whether I liked her or not, really loved and stood by her husband. I also felt sorry for his kids who had had difficulties in their relationships with both of their parents. It is not easy letting go of someone when there are regrets about the past. I hope everything was resolved for them before their dad got ill. But I won’t bore you with my personal opinions on Ronnie. If you know me, you can well imagine what I think.

Ray Charles’ death touched me deeply. Ray’s voice told you that he felt things differently, stronger than most people. Can you hear “I Can’t Stop Loving You” by Ray without being moved? I certainly can’t. I listened to a little tribute to him this morning and one of the songs played was Ray’s version of “America the Beautiful”. Why did I feel more patriotic when I heard that than when I heard the “Star Spangled Banner” at President Reagan’s funeral? Who knows? Bye, Ray, we’ll really miss you….