Barakumentary

"Did your dad fly back from D.C. today?" my roommate asked.
"I don't know; he's always going off to conferences and things. Why?"
"I thought I saw him about four rows ahead of me -- sitting next to Barak Obama."
"WHAT? Why didn't you say hello?"
"I've only seen him once, when he was helping you move, and I wasn't sure it was him. Does he spike his hair?"
"It's embarrassing, but yeah. It must've been him. You should have gone over!"
"Well, it would've been a little awkward, since everyone was going over to talk to Barak. And I would have been like, 'Hi there, Theresa's dad!"

My roommate reported that a flight attendant asked Barak if he wanted to move to first class, but he turned it down. When I repeated this to my dad (who knows Barak from when he was an Illinois State Senator), he dismissed it off as "maintaining his image" and pointed out that they were seated in an exit row with extra leg room, which had stayed open until Barak got on. Coincidence? Still, it's not every U.S. Senator--and possible Presidential candidate--who flys economy.

I continue to be impressed, as, apparently, everyone else does. Both my roommate and my father used the same word to describe his presence: "rockstar." As he walked through the airport, his name was passed from person to person. ::mumble mumble:: Obama! ::mumble mumble:: Barak!

My friend Rory, an ardent volunteer on several of Barak's campaigns, left me the following jesting voicemail: "I'm imaginging the conversation between your dad and Barak going something like this:
'So been up to anything since you left Springfield?'
'Oh, you know, this and that.'"