Amazing: Obama Helped Stranded Stranger 20 Years Ago

[Botany]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/10/5/621029/-


It was 1988, and Mary Andersen was at the Miami airport checking in for a long flight to Norway to be with her husband when the airline representative informed her that she wouldn't be able to check her luggage without paying a 100 surcharge:

When it was finally Mary’s turn, she got the message that would crush her bubbling feeling of happiness.
-You’ll have to pay a 103 dollar surcharge if you want to bring both those suitcases to Norway, the man behind the counter said.
Mary had no money. Her new husband had travelled ahead of her to Norway, and she had no one else to call.
-I was completely desperate and tried to think which of my things I could manage without. But I had already made such a careful selection of my most prized possessions, says Mary.



As tears streamed down her face, she heard a "gentle and friendly voice" behind her saying, "That's okay, I'll pay for her."

Mary turned around to see a tall man whom she had never seen before.
-He had a gentle and kind voice that was still firm and decisive. The first thing I thought was, Who is this man?
Although this happened 20 years ago, Mary still remembers the authority that radiated from the man.
-He was nicely dressed, fashionably dressed with brown leather shoes, a cotton shirt open at the throat and khaki pants, says Mary.
She was thrilled to be able to bring both her suitcases to Norway and assured the stranger that he would get his money back. The man wrote his name and address on a piece of paper that he gave to Mary. She thanked him repeatedly. When she finally walked off towards the security checkpoint, he waved goodbye to her.

Who was the man?

Barack Obama.


*******

I was lucky enough to be alive when this man was my President.

[dalton99a]

1. True kindness from a great human being.

[Tarheel_Dem]

2. A truly wonderful man who will be sorely missed as this country's leader.

[braddy]

3. I remember this story, it is a great one.

[True Dough]

4. Was he a great president?

And an even greater human being?

[Botany]

5. on one of the last days in the white house the Obamas did this ...

And watch how both Barack and Michelle touch the kids and bend down so
they can be face to face w/them.

[mopinko]

7. such a model dad.

i know this is something he wants to spread, how to be a dad, how to treat kids w the respect they deserve.
never seen anyone so good at connecting w kids.

[True Dough]

8. They are REAL people

Compassionate human beings. And they never once had to express how "there's nobody more _______ than me! Trust me." Their actions speak louder than words (although their words were inspiring).

[irisblue]

16. my mom made a point of telling me about this

Made me 😃

[mopinko]

6. i heard so many stories like this on the campaign trail.

i am lucky enough to live in a neighborhood very similar to obama's hyde park. he traveled up here frequently to be involved in campaigns for human rights. he made many good friends. the support for him when he ran was enormous.

i know someone who worked w his office as a senator. she was working to get a murderer extradited from france. durbin helped her, too, tho they ultimately failed.
she actually wouldnt tell me exactly what he did, tho i have no doubt many hugs were involved, but she told me she was stunned by how far above and beyond he had gone for her. how he expressed his concern for her and her family. how he helped them through a terrible time.

and the stories from the cook county black nurses organization still make me smile.

it was really the privilege of my lifetime to help elect this man. i am more proud of that than most of what i have done in my life.

i cant wait for the library. i intend to be involved.

[narnian60]

15. +1

[hedda_foil]

28. I hope I won't be too infirm to volunteer as a docent when the library is up and running.

What a delight that would be.

[mopinko]

29. my thoughts exactly.

i got a sneaking suspicion that there will be some sort of oral history gathering. so many tales to tell.

i know i will scrape up the pennies for some ropeline seats at the fundraisers. lol. i have one story in particular that i would love to tell him. he was there, i shook his hand, and he waved at my crazy art car. got the pics, too. it was a really happy night at the beginning of it all.
got a few names to drop to catch his ear, too.
scheming or dreaming, i dunno. but it never hurts to have a plan. lol.

[hedda_foil]

32. I have a story too.

I was on the board of the Democratic Party of Evanston in 2003-'04. Evanston turned out votes in the high 90% range and was (maybe still is) extremely influential with candidates because Evanston's recommendations carries a lot of weight. We threw a candidate event for the Senatorial primary in November of '03, and they all came and spoke. Obama was still basically an unknown quantity, but his speech, of course, wiped the floor with the rest of that very qualified bunch. When I left, I saw him across the street with a very young aide and called out that I loved his speech. He thanked me in such a natural, regular guy way that I was almost in awe. Amazing.

[mopinko]

33. we gotta have drinks one day.

[hedda_foil]

34. We really should.

[Vinca]

9. I miss him so much.

[Gothmog]

10. Great story

[world wide wally]

11. Face it; Trump would have called her a loser and had her escorted out of the airport

America has come a long way in a few short weeks.

[SticksnStones]

14. Trump would never fly commercial.

[annabanana]

12. k&r. . . . . . n/t

[byronius]

13. He will be the best we have had for a long, long time.

Men like him do not come along often.

[Mira]

17. This moved me to tears

it's man's humanity to man in action.

[Cha]

18. Hallelujah to that, Botany.. and to the fact that we Appreciated

it While it was Happening.. not shooting off cheap pots shots @ him.

Thank you!

[MgtPA]

19. My absolute favorite story of the entire 2008 campaign. I sent this to everyone I knew.

The original Norwegian story is still online:

http://www.vg.no/nyheter/innenriks/usas-presidentvalg-2008/obama-reddet-mary-betalte-reisen-til-norge/a/527005/

[tecelote]

20. Look at Barack and Michelle's relationship.

Look at Donald and Melania's relationship.

Look at how each treats the other.

That says it all.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

24. Look at how he wants to fuck his own daughter if she weren't related to him.

Tells you everything you need to know about him.

An absolutely worthless piece of shit, who makes George W Bush look like a chivalrous knight in shining armor.

[whathehell]

21. This actually makes me cry..He is such a lovely, wonderful man

so caring...We, as a country, were blessed to have him, and really need him to stay involved in public life.

History may judge him as one of the best, most DECENT men to ever have held this office.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

23. Me too, makes me cry...again.

What you said.... that. ❤

[DesertRat]

25. Same

[The Wielding Truth]

27. Hey, don't forget Jimmy Carter. Obama is the classiest and the equally most decent president.

[hunter]

30. God bless Jimmy Carter, but he brought a feather and a Bible to a knife fight.

Obama's Chicago political experience served him well.

Jimmy Carter and Obama are both impeccable gentleman, but Obama was better able to anticipate and mostly check the grotesquely ungentlemanly behavior of his opposition.

The election of Ronald Reagan was a horror, and since then the Republican Party has only gotten worse. (I despised Reagan as much as I despise Trump.) My only glimmer of hope is that Trump will be the end of them. It took every dirty trick the Republicans had to get Trump elected, and even then he did not win the popular vote.

I still have faith the majority of U.S. citizens are neither deplorable or irredeemably ignorant.

[The Wielding Truth]

31. I totally agree with all you have said. Hunter, you prove your own point.

[whathehell]

35. Agreed...at least within a couple of generations.

[joanbarnes]

22. Wait, How did he do this when he was in Kenya?

[spanone]

26. K&R...