Traffic. Commuting.
We don't like it, and most people just listen to music or 'veg' out.
I decided to take advantage of audio books and have been having a grand old time.
The best audio book by far has been the bio of Ronald Reagan, "When Character Was King".
Growing up I never appreciated Reagan, and when he died a few years ago, it truly was a passing away of an American icon and a man we might not see again for quite some time. As I grew older, and learned more of the man from both critics and friends - he was one of our greatest presidents.
The reason why I say this is Reagan was all American - he believed in the best about America and her people. He believed in a idealistic, utopia vision that Americans could make a difference, and privately he was not a man of privilege as some might believe. Yes, he was a movie star, but he wasn't like in the league, popularity of George Clooney - really more like Ray Romano. He was ordinary, sincere and true. Alot of people don't know he was dirt poor, had an alcoholic father, but the eternal goodness and faith of his mother became his inner being's mold.
Reagan always believed providence had a hand when 'bad things happened' - it was good for your soul by divine planning. In turn, he always did fight for the working man because he struggled as a working man.
If you never thought anyone could be that sincere, or cornball true - Reagan was it. Stories about him almost seems contrived, almost too good to be true, but I later found out reading bios, reports of both critics and friends...he was the real deal. There is a story, even I found hard to swallow, but pondering it more and more I believed it: when Reagan was sworn in as president during a overcast day - witness of all people swore there was a break in the overcast skies as a beam of sunshine hit the inaguration platform where Reagan was standing. It was as corn and apple pie as a Norman Rockwell painting.