Creativity Magazine

Baby Handed Off Into Next Apartment, Scores Touchdown, Becomes President

By Mrstrongest @mrstrongarm

As I mentioned in a prior post, I’ve been doing work for The Rumpus, which features essays on a wide range of subjects.

My first assignment was Beyond Americana, an essay about Tampico, Illinois, USA, birthplace of Ronald Reagan, who served two terms (1981-89) as the 40th President
of the United States.

Reagan’s nickname was “The Gipper.” Reagan was a former Hollywood actor who played the role of football hero George “The Gipper” Gipp in the 1940 movie, Knute Rockne, All American. “Win one for The Gipper” is a popular American catch-phrase from the movie. Reporters began referring to Reagan as “The Gipper” during his presidential campaign.

I envisioned a 4th of July parade marching out of an old football helmet.

illustration for essay on Americana and Ronald Reagan showing marching band in swirl of confetti coming out of old-fashioned football helmet with name Gipper stenciled on it

The Rumpus essay recounts that on November 3, 1980, it rained in Tampico. Then a rainbow appeared. It arced down onto the walkup apartment where Reagan was born in 1911. Lloyd McElhiney, the manager of the local grain elevator, ran home, got his camera, and captured the image.

The next day, Reagan won the presidential election in a landslide. Here’s the photo.

grainy old Polaroid photo showing rainbow arching onto walkup apartment in Tampico, Illinois where Ronald Reagan was born, taken by Lloyd McElhiney on November 3, 1980, day before Reagan was elected president

Tampico is a small rural town– less than 800 people. Ronald Reagan is their claim to fame. The building where he was born is now a museum. Visitors get free jelly beans, which were Reagan’s favorite snack.

I asked myself how I could work a rainbow into the mix, and came up with this:

illustration for essay on Americana and Ronald Reagan showing crow sitting on Welcome To Tampico Illinois sign with rainbow falling on kettle full of red white blue jelly beans with American flag painted on it

The bedroom where Reagan was born had an interior window which opened into the adjacent apartment. Reagan’s parents were friends with the couple next door, and they would babysit each other’s children. Rather than climb up and down the apartment’s narrow staircase, the two couples would “hand off Baby Ronald like a football back and forth through the window”– which conjures up a very funny image.

Reagan visited Tampico three times as an adult. I envisioned him crying red, white, and blue jelly bean tears, as he thought back on his many happy trips thru the window. Naturally, the beans assembled themselves into an American flag…

illustration for essay on Americana and Ronald Reagan showing Reagan as baby being passed thru apartment window and caricature of adult Reagan crying nostalgic jelly bean tears with beans falling into shape of American flag

Here’s a close-up detail. For me, the most satisfying aspect of the illustration is how the two ugly wallpapers gently fade into each other.

Reagan had a very distinctive, “peakish” hairstyle. I tried to give Baby Reagan a similar look, only in reverse.

detail from illustration for essay on Americana and Ronald Reagan showing Reagan as baby being passed thru apartment window and caricature of adult Reagan crying nostalgic jelly bean tears with beans falling into shape of American flag

What do you think– was that rainbow an omen?

There must be millions of tiny local museums– ever been to one that stands out in your memory?

Hope you’ll leave a comment.

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