On 30 March1981, Ronald Reagan, president of the United States, was shot by a mentally ill assassin. He was taken to George Washington University Hospital. With a punctured lung and blood frothing from his mouth, he insisted on walking into the emergency room on his own feet. But, once inside the room, he collapsed. Emergency surgery saved his life.
Reagan knew it was important to tell the country that he was going to be OK, and he knew that humour could get that message across. Upon coming out of anesthesia in the recovery room, he told the medical staff surrounding him:"If I had had this much attention in Hollywood, I would have stayed there." And, complimented by a doctor for being a good patient, he said,"I have to be. My father-in-law is a doctor." To an attentive nurse, he said,"Does Nancy* know about us?"
一九八一年三月三十日，美國總統列根遭一精神病人槍擊，送到喬治華頓盛大學醫院。他的肺穿了，鮮血從嘴巴冒出，但還堅持自己走往急救室，一進去，就再也撐不住，倒下來。急救手術，救回他的性命。
列根明白，國民必須知道他會痊瘉，而幽默可以傳達這信息。在康復室裏，他從麻醉之中醒來，見繞牀都是醫護人員，就說：「當年，在好萊塢，我有這麼多人注目，就不會離開了。」有醫生稱贊他是個守規矩的病人，他說：「我不能不如此，我岳父是醫生。」他又問一個殷勤的看護：「南施*知道我們這樣嗎？」
*南施是列根的妻子。