I had a quiet day – a follow-up doctors appointment, brunch with a friend, a catch-up nap, sat on the porch with a friend/neighbor. It’s full-color Fall here in the Georgia Mountains, breath-talking. Cool in the mornings. Balmy through the day. And for some reason, the election anxiety that has gripped me for longer than I’d like to admit was strangely absent.
I got in touch with the gratitude I’m feeling towards Barack Obama himself. I saw his speech in Cincinnati last night. It was great, but he seemed tired, drawn, and exhausted. Today, I was thinking back on that when I heard that his grandmother died. It made me really sad. I realized I was worried about him. He’s been campaigning for two years and I was afraid that it has taken its toll.
Then I ran across a picture:
Barack Obama is just a guy. He’s remarkable because he’s smart, right thinking, appropriately humble, and capable of feeling joy. They’ve made fun of him as a celebrity, or a super-star, or "the one," but his appeal is that he’s not any of those things. He’s a regular dad, and a regular guy. I feel an enormous amount of gratitude towards him for running, for coming along at a time when we need what he is. It’s interesting. I have a felt sense of personal affection for someone I’ve never met, but that’s how I feel.
One thing I learned as a physician – patients take care of their doctors. They worry if you’re sick or off the mark. They try to keep you on track. It’s their way of saying thanks and of keeping you working for their well-being. And that’s how I feel about him. I want to take care of him, keep him safe from the negative characters in our midst, protect him from the jerks on talk Radio or Fox News. I want him to go bumper car riding on Saturdays, to play pick-up basketball, and to go see funny movies. I don’t want the weight of this job to get to him. It’s my felt way of both saying "thanks" and keeping him working for us. And I want him to never miss moments like the one in this picture…
Beautifully said, Mickey. I feel the same way about this man. And I have also felt especially warmed by pictures of him with his family. At various times, HuffPost has put up ‘slide shows’ of pictures of them, like this one in the bumper cars. The obvious love and closeness and joy that is there is just so palpable.
I won’t mention any other names, but if I were going to choose which family to be a part of, there’s no doubt. What if they have only one home and only two cars? There is love and joy and respect.
That is such a fantastic photo. And I agree. You said it very well.