Barack Hussein Obama Part One: Beyond Words...

In 2006 I was working part time as a personal trainer in the District of Columbia, and I had the unexpected pleasure of meeting Illinois Senator Barack Obama. Prior to announcing his candidacy Senator Obama was an active member the fitness club, and worked out often. One particular day our paths crossed briefly, and we had an opportunity to speak. I must admit at the time I was not too familiar with the exact details of his politics...only that he'd electrified the democratic party just two years earlier as the keynote speaker at the DNC, in support of then presidential candidate John Kerry. Here is that conversation...


"Excuse me sir...My name is Brian Hamlin, and I just wanted to shake your hand and say thank you for the work you've been putting in...I've been hearing good things about the issues you find important, and that you've got some pretty influential people on Capital Hill talking..."

"Nice to meet you too young man...and thank you. I don't know if everything they're saying is good, but if they're talking about me at all... I must be doing something."

"If you don't mind me asking sir...whats next on your agenda?"

"Young man...I wasn't really raised to have an agenda necessarily...but instead, I just try to do what's right. Its harder for people to influence your decision making that way."

"Really, OK...but that seems rather unusual for a politician not to have an agenda."

"I know it does...but maybe I can change that."

Shaking my hand again, Senator Obama picked up his gym bag, and wished me well. Now, I know that on the surface the conversation did not shape up to be as profound as I would have expected, but between the lines I was able to sense that he projected a strong feeling of sincerity, a rare commodity, if ever, to be found in "small talk". He spoke as if he actually believed in what he was saying, without overstating or minimizing its importance. Senator Obama came across as a simple man of strong values, that had divinely found himself in an extraordinary situation, center stage at the cusp of a changing world.

Fortunately for me, in that brief moment Senator Obama was able broaden my political perspective, and give me a glimpse of hope that perhaps there did exist people on Capitol Hill with similar backgrounds as my own that allowed their decision making to be guided by moral standings verses corruption and cultural amnesia. Up until that point, like many of my colleagues, friends and family, most politicians (especially African-American) had left an impression that they seem more focused on self-promotion and greed then those issues that affected the disadvantaged and forgotten.

Using a spirit of discernment, far beyond words, I was quickly able to sense who Senator Obama was, and even get a glimpse of where he was attempting to go. Needless to say, from that point forward I became a strong supporter of his efforts, slowly becoming more familiar with his story and political focus...and what I found beneath the surface was an amazing tale of one young mans' journey that would forever change the world...

Barack Hussein Obama Part Two: "The Nature of Destiny" (Coming Soon)