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Barack Obama was coming to my hometown, Colorado Springs, Colorado. It had only been two days earlier that I learned he was here to do fundraising and talk to an invitation-only crowd of people in a city that is known for its conservatism, large military presence, and fundamental Christian population. I told myself I had 48 hours to find an invitation. My efforts to contact people began instantly. My tenacity was relentless, but no amount of persistence seemed to change the responses I was getting, which were, “I’m sorry, I want to help but I simply can’t”…

The day of the event arrived and I still did not have an invitation to the event. That particular day of work, my boss told me to dress down because we’d be getting carpets ready for cleaning.

Readying my hair, I looked at myself in the mirror, and that’s when the conversation with myself began. “Dianne, you aren’t giving up now, are you?!”

“Why in God’s name should I have any hope left at all? Today’s the day of the event, I don’t even know what time he’s speaking, I don’t have an invitation, and anyone who’s connected with the event is certainly not sitting at a desk thinking about contacting me!” I shouted back at myself.

“Dianne…has Barack taught you nothing at all about hope?” I retorted.

So, without a reason for hoping, I began to once again. I decided I better take to work with me a nice dress, shoes and jewelry, just in case. I then called for my girls. “Girls! Guess what? I’m going to see Barack Obama today!”

I must have been quite convincing because my 10-year-old said, “Oh my gosh, Mom! When did you get a invitation!”

I enthusiastically said, “I didn’t!” Her face fell.

“Thennnn, how are you going to see him today?” she asked.

I told them, “Because I just am, that’s how!” Oh, how the grins returned to their faces, for they knew what Mommy was up to. “Now I want you to say,’ Mommy is going to see Barack Obama today!’ three times.”

They said, “Mommy is going to see Barack Obama today. Mommy is going to see Barack Obama today. MOMMY IS GOING TO SEE BARACK OBAMA TODAY.”

It was TRIPLE stamped!

I drove to work, with my dress confidently riding in back, and arrived in Manitou Springs at 9 a.m.

My boss knew how disappointed I was to not be attending the event, so she began to console me by telling me about the other times I might be able to see him. I tried to remain upbeat as the minutes ticked by. By 10 a.m. and no miracle in sight, I admit, I was even worrying about the triple stamp.

But then….

A call came in at 10:15. a.m. It was a woman whom I had been e-mailing back and forth about the event. She had been so very kind and helpful to me, even though getting me an invitation was beyond her abilities. She simply said, “Dianne, here’s the deal. He’s speaking at UCCS at 11 a.m. When you get there, you can try to get in on a stand by basis (there is only room for 400). But you better go right now.” I thanked her profusely and then did a “Superman” quick change and was out the door.

I got to UCCS, they showed me where to park, I walked right toward where the event was and told the security I was on stand by. With no hassle, they gave me a ticket to fill out. It was totally surreal. My hands were trembling. Security wanded me over and then said, “Go right on in, Miss.”

It just couldn’t be true, but there I was, at the event. I found one lone seat in the far back. When he came out, my entire body got goose bumps. His speech was outstanding. My eyes and ears drank in every precious moment.

Afterwards, he moved to the inner circle of the crowd. I’m not really sure how I did this, but I snaked my way near the front where he was shaking people’s hands.
I think it was my height that helped me out. As he got nearer to me, I stretched out my hand as far as it could go. He saw my arm first, then me. Then he took my hand and shook it. I looked him straight in the eye and said “Hello, I’m Dianne Perea.”

He said, “It’s nice to meet you, Dianne,” and off he went.

I shouted out, “Are you going to the top of Pikes Peak?” His eyes twinkled, but he stayed focused on who he was meeting and on his momentum toward others.

Seeing Obama and shaking his hand was the most exhilarating experience of my life. He is bright, warm, magnetic, inspirational, and has those eyes that say, “I really want to be here, I really want to engage with you, I really want to help all of you.” There is nothing “politician-like” about him.

I can see why he is so good at community organization. He draws you in and instantly ignites a passion inside you to be a part of something larger than you, something that seems impossible, but made probable because of the efforts of the people. He makes you want to be a part of a movement that is changing the world for the better. He makes you want to be the best you you can be.

July 2 will be forever known as “Barack Obama Day” for me. When I talk to my kids about this, I tell them the moral of the story is treat everyone kindly, no matter what, because that’s just the right thing to do. And never give up your hopes and dreams.

To the forces and the people that made this happen, I thank you a thousand times.

Written by kindredspirit. Other articles by kindredspirit.
When I write, something mystical happens to me that I can only explain as becoming opened and closed at the same time. I see and hear nothing around me, yet I perfectly hear everything inside of me. One might say I go into a kind of trance when I write, for there is a required stillness I need in order to hear my quiet, inner voice. There is something hypnotic about the feeling of my fingers on the keyboard and watching my mind's thoughts appear as words on the screen as I type them. Writing breaks down every wall and barrier and allows human connections to form on a higher dimension, connections that otherwise might never have. I like to take ordinary topics, ideas, and subjects and make them extraordinary just by simply looking at them from a new angle or perspective. I write with the hope that something I say will make others think twice about something, laugh, ponder, cry, or just say to themselves, "That was worth my time to read." I write to live. Writing is my lifeline, the creative outlet my brain absolutely requires in order to know its voice is not being ignored by my body's ever-demanding needs. For me, writing is the open doorway to my soul, my mind, to my very essence. For others, it's painting, music, acting or theater that take people to the open doorway to their soul. Writing allows a silent and intimate soul-to-soul connection between people who most likely will never meet face-to-face to happen, and this is why I strive to bare my soul and not hold anything back when I write. If my writing can impact people's souls, then I feel I have done something good. And there is no greater feeling than this. www.mybarackobama.com www.trustthewhisper.com

Visit the Author's website:
http://www.trustthewhisper.com

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