I had the great pleasure of meeting Michelle Obama today at Abington High School where she was scheduled to speak. I was a volunteer from the Cheltenham for Obama group. Our job was to register as many voters as we could for the upcoming April primary, here in PA.
There is a saying about being at the right place at the right time and I became a living example of that.
I was asked to come inside and stand by the stairs to prevent people from wandering up there. I stood with about 3 others from my group. A member of the Obama staff then came out and waved to us. We went inside the auditorium and were all amazed when we were asked to sit on the stage, in the front row.
Mrs. Obama arrived and gave a very well spoken speech. She spoke about how the bars are constantly being raised by the upper class on the lower class. How we are being baggaged with higher and higher debts, how we are unable to afford decent health care insurance and how many young people are told not to aim high because -- it's too hard, why try?
She stated that it was wrong to teach our children not to reach for their dreams. She used her own background as well as Barack's to show how, with determination and spirit, it is possible to make your dreams a reality. She also urged us to help those who cannot help themselves. For far too long, we have let apathy, lack of feeling, rule our lives. We have become too comfortable with the idiom of 'well, I've got mine. Who cares about anyone else?" In a summary, she urged us to become our brother's keeper; to help those who cannot help themselves.
The Obama campaign is being run from the bottom up. There is no 'corporate money' to provide for fancy buttons, stickers, commercials or signs. The money for his campaign is being provided for by the people -- with simple $20 donations. And, for all the corporate money Hillary Clinton has gotten her hands on, she has been outdonated. The money for the Obama campaign came from the people; not from Wal-Mart.
At the end of her speech, she came up on stage to shake everyone's hands. First, I was amazed by how tall she is. I stand a paisley 5' 8". I was also very aware of how down to earth and grounded she is. She doesn't look at you from the point of view that she is better than you are. In fact, it is quite the opposite. She treats you as an equal. As for the critics review that Mrs. Obama is sarcastic; I beg to differ. The critic who said that just doesn't know women very well; particularly African American women. My wife is of German-Irish stock and she is as sarcastic as any other. I think that sarcasm just comes with the gender.
I got to shake her hand where I introduced myself as a veteran of the Iraq War. She asked how I was doing? I stated that I was fine. I was unemployed like everyone else but I just took everything day by day. She then said was there anything that they could do for me. At first, I said no but then I added, 'yes'. Bring us (soldiers) home'. She smiled very warmly and nodded as she moved down the line.
Mrs. Obama looks you straight in the eye as she talks to you and I appreciate that. It showed me that she truly cared for what I had to say.
If this is a preview of what to expect in the White House when she is First Lady then we have a lot to look forward to. She will bring a dignity and a genuine concern for people not seen in the White House for a very long time.
The Obamas, folks, are the real deal. The genuine article. For God's sake ... get these people into office!