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One small voice in the proud tradition of FreeBlogging* Sunday, October 17, 2004 posted by gbarto at 11:50 PM:Book ReviewInveterate reader G. Takamatsu will be contributing book reviews to this site from time to time while a site of his own is set up. This is the first of doubtless many. TWICE ADOPTED by Michael Reagan. ISBN: 080543144-6. The title refers to Reagan's two adoptions, first, into the Reagan family and second into the family of God. Michael Reagan did not become a Christian till late in life. His wife Colleen was the one praying for him. He had been raised Roman Catholic by his mother, actress Jane Wyman, who converted to that faith as an adult. But though he was raised Catholic, he simply went through the motions. The fact that he was adopted and born out of wedlock bothered him. He thought God was mad at him. There are verses in the Old Testaments about "bastards" that may have given him that impression. Reagan was molested by a day camp counselor while he was an elementary school student. The counselor took pictures of him and made Reagan develop those pictures. This incident traumatized him but he did not talk about the experience for thirty years. This trauma made him an angry, rebellious person. Ronald, Nancy and Jane were not aware of what happened till he told them about it years later. I think they were at a loss as to how to deal with him. The content of Reagan's book is not limited to his own life. He also talks about how to detect signs of child abuse. I don't think he is a professional counselor, but as a victim, he knows about what he is talking about. After the trauma and before he met Colleen, Reagan lived a worldly existence. He attended a rich kids' high school in Arizona and using his poker skills supplemented his father's "meager" allowance. I think he viewed himself as separating the rich kids from their allowances. Must have been a good poker player or maybe the rich kids were not really wise in the game of poker. He took up speed boat racing and won the world championships. And he accumulated a lot of debt. He was going on a downward spiral when he met Colleen. She did not change him overnight - he was dating eight women at the time. I get the impression Colleen was more or less forced upon Reagan by his friends as a blind date. He does not appear to have been an easy person to live with. When his wife was asked why she put up with him, she said she saw potential. Personally I think she was taking a dangerous gamble. My impression is that often times nice women get hurt when they marry jerks. I call it the "Beauty and the Beast syndrome." This is where women think they can tame the savage beast by their love. Doesn't always work out. But I guess in Michael Reagan's case it worked out. Colleen was supportive of him when he told her of the trauma he had suffered many years ago as a child. (He also informed Ronald and Nancy; I am not sure how Jane Wyman found out.) It appears that the catalyst for Reagan's talking about his childhood trauma came when he was offered a book deal. He was offered two million dollars to write a "Daddy Dearest" book slandering his father. He broke down and told the collaborator that he couldn't do it. He said it wasn't his parents' fault. He told his collaborator about the trauma. The money offer was withdrawn. I should backtrack a bit for one other important note: Michael Reagan was adopted, so it seems, because Maureen wanted a brother. She took money out of her piggy bank and plopped about 97 cents on the counter of the pharmacy saying she wanted a brother. I think that gave Ronald Reagan and his wife at the time, Jane Wyman a hint. They adopted Michael. Michael Reagan also and unsurprisingly talks about his father's presidency. This portion of the book seems a little brief but memorable. He notes that Reagan had suffered a defeat to Gerald Ford in 1976. But Michael thinks that it was not yet Reagan's time, that the other key characters were not yet in place that year. The other key players came into play later: Pope John Paul II (1978), Margaret Thatcher (1979) and Gorbachev (1985). I think Brian Mulroney of Canada should be included here. One wonders what a Reagan presidency would have been without them. In the end, though, this is not a book about Ronald Reagan, but about Michael, and about how, in spite of the bad things which happened in his life, through God's grace he has managed get his life on track. - Guy Takamatsu 
French Elections, 1st round
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Day by Day is on hiatus due to family issues for Chris Muir. We wish him well and hope he's back soon.
* Freeblogging is a term coined by Joanne Jacobs.
