Ronald Reagan's Boyhood Home

My father is a hard-core Republican and a huge Reagan admirer. I love Dad, but do not share his politics. So I wasn’t impressed by this place when he dragged me there in 1982.

Not only was I not into Reagan’s politics, but the house itself is no big deal. If you’ve been anywhere in the Midwest, you’ve seen this house. It’s an older structure, like so many buildings in that part of the country are. This is not exactly the Playboy Mansion I’m talking about here.

The place is so undistinguished that I had totally forgotten about it until a few days ago. Last Saturday (Feb. 16, 2008) I waited in line for four hours to get into Lubbock High School to see former President Clinton. While I was in line, I visited with some people about other politicians we wanted to see. One of them was a 10-year-old girl who wanted to see Ronald Reagan. I informed her that Reagan died a few years ago, but maybe she would see him in heaven. When I told her that I had seen Reagan’s boyhood home, she gushed and wished that she could see it too. She may enjoy visiting the place, but I don’t think most of you would.