Amazing: Obama Helped Stranded Stranger 20 Years Ago

Hm, this is the first political post here on GreenFertility. On the other hand, maybe it's not really political, more just the GreenFertility bringin' ya the lesser known facts (see, I can talk like Sarah Palin, too!).

This story (I got it from the Daily Kos via my friend Susan) illustrates the ever important what-people-do-when-no-one's-looking principle. Plus, MAN FERTILITY and I have friends who went to school with Obama and said similar things about him and are working for his campaign.

I also found it weird/creepy/scary that at the debate, when Sen. Biden became truly choked up recalling his family tragedy, Gov. Palin merely responded with one of her soundbites about being a maverick...

In these times, who's more likely to feel your pain, who's more likely to genuinely try to help? I couldn't even bear to watch the RNC because of the baaaad energy.

p.s. if after reading this you want to donate to Books4Barack, a joint effort of authors brianchilded by Ayelet Waldman, click here.

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Amazing: Obama Helped Stranded Stranger 20 Years Ago

by foxsucks81

Sun Oct 05, 2008 at 03:47:48 PM PDT

The Norwegian newspaper VG has reported a truly amazing story about a newly-wed trying to get to Norway to be with her husband, and the stranger who helped pay an unexpected luggage surcharge. The blog "Leisha's Random Thoughts" has translated the story.

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.

DIGG IT!

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.

Twenty years later, she is thrilled that the friendly stranger at the airport may be the next President and has voted for him already and donated 100 dollars to his campaign:

-He was my knight in shining armor, says Mary, smiling.
She paid the 103 dollars back to Obama the day after she arrived in Norway. At that time he had just finished his job as a poorly paid community worker* in Chicago, and had started his law studies at prestigious Harvard university.

read more here.