Obama, in 1988, paid for stranger's luggage fees

[Ebowed]

English translation of a Norwegian article:

Mary lacked money to fly home to Norway – he saved her love

ÅSGÅRDSTRAND (VG): Mary was a newlywed and ready to move to Norway, but was stopped at the airport because she didn’t have enough money for the trip. Then a stranger turned up and paid for her.

Mary Menth Andersen was 31 years old at the time and had just married Norwegian Dag Andersen. She was looking forward to starting a new life in Åsgårdstrand in Vestfold with him. But first she had to get all of her belongings across to Norway. The date was November 2nd, 1988.
At the airport in Miami things were hectic as usual, with long lines at the check-in counters. When it was finally Mary’s turn and she had placed her luggage on the baggage line, 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.

Although she explained the situation to the man behind the counter, he showed no signs of mercy.
-I started to cry, tears were pouring down my face and I had no idea what to do. Then I heard a gentle and friendly voice behind me saying, That’s OK, 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.

The piece of paper said ‘Barack Obama’ and his address in Kansas, which is the state where his mother comes from. Mary carried the slip of paper around in her wallet for years, before it was thrown out.
-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.
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.
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.

This week VG met her and her husband in the café that she runs with her friend Lisbeth Tollefsrud in Åsgårdstrand.
-It’s amazing to think that the man who helped me 20 years ago may now become the next US president, says Mary delightedly.
She has already voted for Obama. She recently donated 100 dollars to his campaign.
She often tells the story from Miami airport, both when race issues are raised and when the conversation turns to the presidential elections.
-I sincerely hope the Americans will see reason and understand that Obama means change, says Mary.

http://leishacamden.blogspot.com/2008/10/not-that-it-matters.html

[DownWithTheLeft]

McCain saving his men in Vietnam > paying for some luggage

[Ebowed]

More from the anecdotal evidence department...

Dude! Barack Obama saved my kid's life today!
by: matt
Thu Oct 02, 2008 at 20:49:21 PM EDT

Okay...here's my story...

So there we are at Barack's rally in East Lansing: Charlie and Rachel (my twins - Bear and Bird, respectively) and my godmother Carol (Joanie had an appointment). A Great rally; great speech; great crowd. Weather was lousy with a cool, brisk wind and occasional sprinkles of rain. Didn't matter though - between 10 and 20 thousand people braved the elements to fill what is a rather small, but picturesque field in the old part of the MSU campus. 

When the speech ended, I picked up Charlie and Carol carried Rachel toward the rope line with hopes of shaking the hand of the pres-to-be. Somewhere in here Carol and I got separated.

Anyway, the Bear and I got within reaching distance and my arms ached as I held him up high, waiting for Barack to make his way around the circuit. Charlie was, of course, being his regular 14-month old charmer self, flirting with the ladies and giggling and grabbing at everything in sight - including an Obama sticker worn by a guy next to us. In an act of goodwill, the man took his sticker and put it on the Bear's shirt. The Bear was very happy about this.

Meanwhile, the next president of these United States (God willing) was walking toward us and there was mayhem all around (as there usually is on a rope line). If you haven't been up close, it's something to see. I was especially intrigued with the efficient system Barack's handlers seem to have developed to help people get their copies of "Dreams From my Father" or "The Audacity of Hope" autographed. Let me also say - as one who has been to way more than his share of presidential candidate rallies - how impressed I was with the advance staff I observed. They were diligent about doing their job. But the folks I encountered were extremely pleasant and upbeat. Maybe it was just because they were happy to hear that McCain is throwing in the towel in Michigan. Nevertheless, very refreshing. I've been to far too many of these things were beleagured operatives are barking out orders, being grumpy and mean and bringing people down. Not the case where I was sitting.

Okay...so here comes Barack. He spots the Bear and reaches over to him. "Heeey guy!," he says. He shakes hands with both of us, and I mutter something incoherent like "thanks, Barack, for everything you're doing, etc." As he's walking on, Barack turns around and says "what's he chewing on?" Doh! I was so caught up the situation I had failed to notice that Charlie had stuffed the sticker completely in his mouth and was attempting to eat it. "One of your stickers!" I replied. As I fished the remnants of the sticker out of Charlie's mouth, I think Senator Obama said something about wanting to be sure he didn't choke and kept moving.

Yeah, so it wasn't like Obama administered CPR or anything like that. But hey, it will be a pretty cool story that we can tell the Bear when he gets older!

[Speed of Sound]

McCain saving his men in Vietnam > paying for some luggage

Yeah, what a jerk Obama is. Fuck him.

[DownWithTheLeft]

McCain saving his men in Vietnam > paying for some luggage

Yeah, what a jerk Obama is. Fuck him.

Wonderful, he paid for some luggage.  Some guy was short on money in the grocery store last week and I lent him a few bucks because he looked homeless.  Should I start measuring the drapes?

[King]

Yeah, Obama made a huge gaffe when he decided to be born in 1961.

[Speed of Sound]

Yeah, Obama made a huge gaffe when he decided to be born in 1961.

The gaffe, my friend, was when he decided to fund Norwegian terrorist sympathizers. This says nothing about his personality other than that he hates America.

[Mr.Jones]

Honestly, the Pepublican way of thinking about Obama is pathetic. They dont like a good man who helps others. Wow Republicans first and Americans last - Good ! You deserve to loose - Very very good !

[Ban my account ffs!]

McCain saving his men in Vietnam > paying for some luggage

Yeah, what a jerk Obama is. Fuck him.

Wonderful, he paid for some luggage.  Some guy was short on money in the grocery store last week and I lent him a few bucks because he looked homeless.  Should I start measuring the drapes?

Wow... surprising that you parted with a few of your hard earned dollars... 

[RJ]

The date was November 2nd, 1988.

Wasn't there an election on or close to that day?

[WalterMitty]

what a self serving story.

one should never brag about acts of charity.

[Meeker]

what a self serving story.

one should never brag about acts of charity.

He wasn't?

[Nutmeg]

How did this woman vote for Obama and contribute money to his campaign?

[Хahar 🤔]

How did this woman vote for Obama and contribute money to his campaign?

American citizen.

[??????????]

Honestly, the Pepublican way of thinking about Obama is pathetic. They dont like a good man who helps others. Wow Republicans first and Americans last - Good ! You deserve to loose - Very very good !

Damn republicans never give anything in charity!

http://www.catalogueforphilanthropy.org/cfp/db/generosity.php?year=2004

[WalterMitty]

what a self serving story.

one should never brag about acts of charity.

He wasn't?

sure.  just like team obama wasnt behind the palin faked a preganacy story.

team bush wasnt behind the swift boat. 

nice to feel all warm and fuzzy....and naive.

[Bacon King]

what a self serving story.

one should never brag about acts of charity.

He wasn't?

Don't you know? Obama moonlights as a freelance writer for the Norwegian press.

[Meeker]

what a self serving story.

one should never brag about acts of charity.

He wasn't?

sure.  just like team obama wasnt behind the palin faked a preganacy story.

team bush wasnt behind the swift boat. 

nice to feel all warm and fuzzy....and naive.

"Hey guys! I remember this time, like 25 years ago, where I helped this chick on her way to Norway with her bags. Let's call up a small Norwegian paper, get them to run a story, and then hope it gets translated into English and spread around the Internets!"

Take off the tinfoil hat, Walter.

[Firefly]

Obama certainly wouldn't have helped her pay her luggage if she was an unborn baby. 

rofl

[exopolitician]

Im undecided now.

[Associate Justice PiT]

Obama certainly wouldn't have helped her pay her luggage if she was an unborn baby. 

rofl

     I must say that that line made this whole topic more than worth it.

[Lunar]