---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 30 Oct 2008 08:31:11 -0700 From: Constance Wellnitz <[log in to unmask]> To: Mary Kaye Nowack <[log in to unmask]>, Ylva Hernlund <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Fwd: Is it In The Bag ? > > > This is a awesome story ..........(Pass it on....)  > Oct 05, 2008 > > 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. > > 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 k ind 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. > > > "That One" > Needs Your Support 4 Nov. 08 > > > OBAMA 08 > > Here's a link to the original story: > http://leishacamden.blogspot.com/2008/10/not-that-it-matters.html > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > Please visit my online Gift Shop: www.CafePress.com/WorldVue > >  ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤