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I Shook Obama's Hand

I touched greatness.

It just couldn't be true, but there I was, at the event. I found one lone seat in the far back. When he came out, my entire body got goose bumps. His speech was outstanding. My eyes and ears drank in every precious moment.

By Citizen Correspondent Dianne Perea

Date Posted: 07/08/08

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Barack Obama was coming to my hometown, Colorado Springs, Colorado. It had only been two days earlier that I learned he was here to do fundraising and talk to an invitation-only crowd of people in a city that is known for its conservatism, large military presence, and fundamental Christian population. I told myself I had 48 hours to find an invitation. My efforts to contact people began instantly. My tenacity was relentless, but no amount of persistence seemed to change the responses I was getting, which were, "I'm sorry, I want to help but I simply can't"...

The day of the event arrived and I still did not have an invitation to the event. That particular day of work, my boss told me to dress down because we'd be getting carpets ready for cleaning.

Readying my hair, I looked at myself in the mirror, and that's when the conversation with myself began. "Dianne, you aren't giving up now, are you?!"

"Why in God's name should I have any hope left at all? Today's the day of the event, I don't even know what time he's speaking, I don't have an invitation, and anyone who's connected with the event is certainly not sitting at a desk thinking about contacting me!" I shouted back at myself.

"Dianne...has Barack taught you nothing at all about hope?" I retorted.

So, without a reason for hoping, I began to once again. I decided I better take to work with me a nice dress, shoes and jewelry, just in case. I then called for my girls. "Girls! Guess what? I'm going to see Barack Obama today!"

I must have been quite convincing because my 10-year-old said, "Oh my gosh, Mom! When did you get a invitation!"

I enthusiastically said, "I didn't!" Her face fell.

"Thennnn, how are you going to see him today?" she asked.

I told them, "Because I just am, that's how!" Oh, how the grins returned to their faces, for they knew what Mommy was up to. "Now I want you to say,' Mommy is going to see Barack Obama today!' three times."

They said, "Mommy is going to see Barack Obama today. Mommy is going to see Barack Obama today. MOMMY IS GOING TO SEE BARACK OBAMA TODAY."

It was TRIPLE stamped!

I drove to work, with my dress confidently riding in back, and arrived in Manitou Springs at 9 a.m.