I’m not one to worship people, especially celebrities, and politicians are celebrities. I used to worship people, be more happy and positive and yea. Anyways, I’ve criticized Obama a lot, and for good reason, but I sort of want to at least do one feel good happy positive post about him before he leaves office. Being negative all the time isn’t fun for me, as used to depression I am. Anyways, here it goes.
When Obama gave his inauguration speech, I was a sophomore in high school, and we watched it in class. Which class, I can’t remember, but I remember I cried and I was so happy and full of hope. It seemed the future was bright, and this was during my first deep deep deeeeeeeeeeep phase of depression, not too long after my first suicide attempt. So I was all into Obama, because at the time it gave me hope, not so much for the country, but for myself in terms of, maybe depression will get better and I’ll see happy days again.
Obama’s first year in office, 2009, as a junior, I met the coolest, smartest, kindest, funniest and prettiest girl in the whole world. Madeleine Tangney. I just call her Maddi. She’s been thousands of miles away for many years now, so staying in contact with her isn’t always easy, but I try. She brings out the best in me, just talking to her makes me really excited, the same kind of excited I used to get for Oregon Ducks football. Just the sound of her voice is as thrilling as an Oregon touchdown, and I’m trying my best here not to go overboard with being sweet. Maddi is also the best feminist I know, I always wish I could be closer with her so I can learn from her. Also, she just makes my days better when I do get to talk with her/receive texts. She makes me see the world, and society, and just life, more positively. She makes me believe in myself too. Anyways, being that she entered my life the same year Obama became president, well, you know… Thanks Obama. Lastly though, if forever is a thing, I’d like to always have Maddi in my life, even though I really don’t deserve her texts or her calls or especially her world best warm hugs because she is far more wonderful than what I think I deserve. But yea, Obama, can you keep her in my life for a long long time, please? Thanks, Obama.
Also 2009, Obama’s first year. It just so happened to be the first year I ever got Oregon Ducks football season tickets! It also just so happened that once Obama became president, my Ducks dethroned USC, won the Pac 10 in the Civil War for the Roses game, and got to play in the Rose Bowl Game! Of course, I went to that Rose Bowl! So, Obama becomes president, and I get to go to the Rose Bowl! Thanks Obama.
2010, Obama’s second year in office. I get season tickets again for Ducks football, and Oregon goes undefeated! 12-0. Thanks Obama! I get to watch Oregon play for the national championship, something I could only dream of, a dream my dad would always make fun of me for having. Even though we lost to Auburn, just playing in that game, and coming so close, was a dream come true. In other words, Obama is president, Oregon makes it to the ‘Natty. Thanks Obama.
2011, middle of Obama’s third year, end of my senior year. The Vancouver Canucks make it to the Stanley Cup Finals, and the series goes to a game seven in Vancouver. I skipped my senior lunch trip whatever they call it thing, and went up to Vancouver for game seven. I, along with two of my friends, got to watch game seven in the streets of downtown Vancouver with over 200,000 people. It was one of the coolest experiences ever! The Canucks lost game seven and thus the Stanley Cup, but it didn’t outweigh the awesome experience of being there for a game seven of the SCF. After the game, I got to witness one of the worst riots of all time up front with my own eyes. It was surreal, seeing cars flipped over, cop cars burning, tires exploding, stores being broken into, bottles flying everywhere. The thing though is, while everyone else got to see the riot on TV, I got to see it firsthand. So yea, game seven of the SCF with the Canucks, postgame riots. Once in a lifetime experience. So yea, thanks Obama.
More middle of 2011. Met my best friend Garrett Spring, the best bestest bestestestestest friend I’ve ever ever everrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr had. Or as my friends and I call him, Sexy Beast! He doesn’t need a long explanation, other than, if and when I get married, he’s going to be my best man. So yup, thanks Obama.
Late 2011. Oregon Ducks football didn’t go undefeated again, but we got back to the Rose Bowl. This time, we won the Rose Bowl for the first time in 90+ years. I was jumping in happiness when we won! Again, thanks Obama.
2011-2012. There was this girl I would walk Greenlake with every weekend. I don’t want to name her, because our friendship ended on bad terms, but she was the first girl that I spent significant time with outside of a school setting, and she was the first girl I ever introduced to my dad. I had never spent that much time with a girl before, so although never a couple, she was the first time I had a girl that meant a lot to me, a girl that was as significant to my life as my close guy friends. So, thanks Obama.
2012. My sister on my dad’s side gets married. Thanks Obama.
2012. Oregon goes 12-1, wins the Fiesta Bowl. Thanks Obama.
2012-2016 I go to college, although it was community college, in Eugene. Eugene was never quite the heaven I thought it was, and I was very lonely there. Not alone, just lonely. Lots of temporary friends coming and going. Depression and self-harming and social anxiety and many suicide attempts kept me from ever being able to string together enough consecutive good terms to stay in school and get a transfer degree, but at the very least I found what I was passionate about outside of sports. I learned to think for myself. I love urban/regional planning, I’d give an arm to still be in school going for that. I don’t know if this is good or bad, but of the people I love deeply whom I told my major/career goal to, Maddi is the only person who told me I’d do great at it, that it’d be perfect for me. Being positive, I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, but others would keep asking me questions like, do you want to keep going in school? When are you coming home? Why don’t you go to school at home? What if that career doesn’t work out? What’s your backup plan if you don’t succeed at that? Maddi is the only person who told me, you’re gonna do great. Not, I hope you do well, or good luck. No, she told me I would do great. Anyways, got off track. So yea, I pretty much became my own person in college, and my mom says I’m the smartest person in the family, even if I don’t have a 3.5 GPA and college degree to show for it. Also, weirdly, college is where I learned to not worship people, specifically celebrities. College taught me that people like Obama, or Hillary, or Trump, or even Bernie and Jill, they aren’t your grandpa or friend or mom. They are politicians, they’re powerful, and have their own agenda’s, and as cool as they might be as people, they need to be looked at only through their previous actions in power, and what they propose to do if/when they gain power. So in that sense, that’s why I fell off with Obama and the Democrats, and didn’t vote Hillary, which I feel like I let Maddi down, and my mom and many cousins down. Also, again, my worldview is just pretty negative b/c I always see the bad things, due to depression and the way I view myself. So yea, basically, I went to college during the Obama years, and ended up learning not to worship people. Sorry Obama, sorry Hillary, sorry everyone I let down. Still though, thanks Obama.
2013. I get Oregon season tickets for the third time. Oregon beats UW for the 10th time in a row. Finishes 11-2, another ten win season. Thanks Obama.
2014. Got Oregon season tickets a 4th time. Bought my dad a ticket to the Michigan State game at Oregon. Oregon won. Marcus Mariota won the Heisman. Oregon won another Rose Bowl, against Famous Rapist and Florida State. Got to see Oregon in the ‘Natty again, although we got beat soundly. But still, that whole season was so much fun. Thanks Obama.
2015. There’s really nothing positive I remember about 2015. Thanks Obama?
2016. I get my first score above 200 in bowling. Also, I improved a lot in bowling in 2016. Before 2016, I was happy to break 100. In 2016, Obama’s final year in office, I raised my game to where I was averaging over 130 every week. Also, starting in 2015 I think, my friends and I started bowling every Monday night when I was home from school because it was $2 shoes and $1 games, until we realized we were playing more than eight games every Monday, so we switched to Thursday nights which are $10 all you can bowl from 9pm until 1am at West Seattle Bowl. So, for the great Thursday bowling deal, thanks Obama! Oh, and The Boobla (me) whooped Grandpa’s (Alex Miles) ass many times, and for that, I say, thanks Obama.
2016. My sister on my mom’s side got married, and my cousin Elizabeth got married too, and my favorite cousin Brittany got engaged. Thanks Obama.
2016. The Detroit Lions face the Seahawks in Seattle in the playoffs, so I was able to get my dad a ticket to the game as a late Christmas present. Thanks Obama.
Late 2016, end of Obama’s time in office. Handing out food, water, socks, and other things to the homeless camp in Seattle nicknamed The Jungle, with Emily Thompson. Got huge interest on Twitter through activist connections which encouraged Emily to set up a fundraising page for our operations and we already have raised quite a bit, so we can get even more needed supplies to the homeless camp. So yup, thanks Obama.
In all honesty, I know none of these things really happened to my life because of Obama, but these are the main good, happy, positive things that have happened for me while Obama was president. When I think about the good things from the Obama years, this is what I remember. So anyways, Obama, you gave me hope when I felt hopeless and suicidal eight years ago, and although you were a letdown in many ways, the hope is still there. Hope that, someone will love me as much as I love them. Hope that, Oregon will get a ‘Natty sometime. Hope that, I’ll get a perfect game in bowling one of these days. Hope that, every homeless person will find a home. Hope, for a better world. If there’s one thing Obama did, it was inspire hope. For that, thanks Obama.
adamkendall2 