Fwd: The Kind Stranger : Senator Barack Obama
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Shaka Abubakar
Oct 26, 2008, 2:54:29 PM10/26/08
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---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Mohamadou Mbaye <mou...@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Oct 26, 2008 at 8:30 AM
Subject: The Kind Stranger : Senator Barack Obama
To:
--
Thanks,
--Mohamadou
Cell: 202-422-7652
website : www.mouride.acnrep.com
"Know that your goal is reached and rewarded only according to the effort you dedicated to it".
Cheikh A Bamba, 'Nahdjou', V 149.
From: Mohamadou Mbaye <mou...@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Oct 26, 2008 at 8:30 AM
Subject: The Kind Stranger : Senator Barack Obama
To:
AMAZING!!!
----- Forwarded Message ----
Sent: Friday, October 24, 2008 11:23:58 AM
Subject: Fwd: The Kind Stranger : Senator Barack Obama
Enjoy!
It's what you do when NO ONE is looking that determines who you really ARE!!!
This is insane...you gotta read it...
Subject: Very Interesting- Obama Helped Stranded Stranger 20 Years Ago
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 traveled 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.
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.
Mary even convinced her parents to vote for him:
In the spring of 2006 Mary's parents had heard that Obama was
considering a run for president, but that he had still not
decided.
They chose to write a letter in which they told him that he would
receive their votes. At the same time, they thanked Obama for
helping their daughter 18 years earlier.
And Obama replied:
In a letter to Mary's parents dated May 4th, 2006 and stamped
'United States Senate, Washington DC', Barack Obama writes**:
'I want to thank you for the lovely things you wrote about me and
for reminding me of what happened at Miami airport. I'm happy I
could help back then, and I'm delighted to hear that your
daughter
is happy in Norway . Please send her my best wishes. Sincerely,
Barack Obama , United States senator'.
The parents sent the letter on to Mary.
Mary says that when her friends and associates talk about the election,
especially when race relations is the heated subject, she relates the
story of the kind man who helped out a stranger-in-need over twenty
years ago, years before he had even thought about running for high
office.
Truly a wonderful story, and something that needs to be passed along in
the maelstorm of fear-and-smear politics we are being subjected to right
now.
UPDATE: Thanks for the recommends, folks! Also, remember this was
1988, when 100 dollars was quite a bit of money, compared to today's
value.
By the way, this would be the perfect antidote to the Smear E-mails
going around. If anyone has a good long email chain list, shoot it
out, and let it be passed along.
Sent: Friday, October 24, 2008 11:23:58 AM
Subject: Fwd: The Kind Stranger : Senator Barack Obama
Enjoy!
It's what you do when NO ONE is looking that determines who you really ARE!!!
This is insane...you gotta read it...
Subject: Very Interesting- Obama Helped Stranded Stranger 20 Years Ago
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 traveled 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.
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.
Mary even convinced her parents to vote for him:
In the spring of 2006 Mary's parents had heard that Obama was
considering a run for president, but that he had still not
decided.
They chose to write a letter in which they told him that he would
receive their votes. At the same time, they thanked Obama for
helping their daughter 18 years earlier.
And Obama replied:
In a letter to Mary's parents dated May 4th, 2006 and stamped
'United States Senate, Washington DC', Barack Obama writes**:
'I want to thank you for the lovely things you wrote about me and
for reminding me of what happened at Miami airport. I'm happy I
could help back then, and I'm delighted to hear that your
daughter
is happy in Norway . Please send her my best wishes. Sincerely,
Barack Obama , United States senator'.
The parents sent the letter on to Mary.
Mary says that when her friends and associates talk about the election,
especially when race relations is the heated subject, she relates the
story of the kind man who helped out a stranger-in-need over twenty
years ago, years before he had even thought about running for high
office.
Truly a wonderful story, and something that needs to be passed along in
the maelstorm of fear-and-smear politics we are being subjected to right
now.
UPDATE: Thanks for the recommends, folks! Also, remember this was
1988, when 100 dollars was quite a bit of money, compared to today's
value.
By the way, this would be the perfect antidote to the Smear E-mails
going around. If anyone has a good long email chain list, shoot it
out, and let it be passed along.
Thanks,
--Mohamadou
Cell: 202-422-7652
website : www.mouride.acnrep.com
"Know that your goal is reached and rewarded only according to the effort you dedicated to it".
Cheikh A Bamba, 'Nahdjou', V 149.
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