Obama and Me

I happened to be in Washington DC the week following the US Presidential election last November. On my way to a conference in Virginia, I had enough free time to spend a few hours walking around the city before continuing on my way.

I should say, at this point, that I have very little interest in politics. I don't follow elections in Canada, let alone the US. Needless to say, I didn't know much about Barack Obama before arriving in Washington that Thursday in November. In fact, I barely knew his name. The friend I was traveling with, on the other hand, had followed Obama's political career ever since hearing his first speech at a Democratic Convention. A Democrat with dual American-Canadian citizenship, she had voted in the election and is a member of "Democrats Abroad."

The weather was unseasonably warm as we wondered around downtown Washington, near the White House and the Mall. People were strolling around with smiles on their faces. A feeling of hope and change charged the air.














Everyone seemed happy.














We enjoyed a relaxing lunch at an outdoor cafe near the White House.

We saw Obama everywhere!














Here Kay is posing with him! (I think the real Barack Obama is a bit taller!)

At the airport after the conference, in the spirit of the Obama-mania that surrounded me, I bought a copy of Dreams From My Father, the first book Barack Obama wrote, after graduating from law school, before entering politics. A biographical memoire, it tells of his childhood, growing up in Hawaii and Indonesia, then back in Hawaii again, of his coming to California and New York to study. He also writes about his three years in Chicago working as a Community Organizer - helping poor people help themselves - and about his first trip to Kenya to connect with his African roots by meeting his late father's family.

I found the book absolutely fascinating! I love stories of people who travel and experience different cultures, and this one did not disappoint. His rich descriptions of life in Indonesia, Hawaii, New York, Chicago and Kenya held me entranced. A writer with an ear for dialogue, he captured the unique speaking style of all, whether they were Indonesians, Kenyans, foreign students, or fellow Americans of all ages. I couldn't put the book down - finishing all 480 pages in about a week!

I was left with a lot of respect for this man whose life experience has encompassed white and black America, as well as parts of Asia and Africa. A brilliant writer and thinker from an ordinary middle-class family, he has struggled to understand himself and his place in the world. He is also a caring individual with a heart for helping the poor. Reading the book gave me a glimpse of the person behind the politics. Dreams From My Father is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand this new American president.

Hearing my enthusiasm for Barack Obama's first book, my family gave me his second book, The Audacity of Hope, as a Christmas gift. This one is about politics - the ideas as well as the people behind them. As I said, politics does not interest me - so I haven't made much headway so far. I have not yet been caught up by the story.

I was fortunate to be in Washington at this juncture of history - on a warm sunny day when streets were not crowded, unlike Obama's cold, crowded January Inauguration Day... Blessed, because I sensed the spirit of hope of the nation - and caught a glimpse of who this new American president is.