Right now I am reading Becoming by Michelle Obama, published in 2018. I worried that I missed the boat on reading it because almost six year have passed since it was released. Time passes quickly in politics. Luckily, Michelle Obama does not have much of a taste for politics, as I found out in the book. Also I am sure that it is just as interesting in 2024 as it was when it was published, I am sure.
I love reading this book! Michelle is very inspiring and relatable. Sometimes when I reading it though, I get caught up in mind game where I ask myself why I haven’t accomplished as much as Michelle Obama, because she is a very accomplished woman. This book is truly about her and even outside of her husband’s political work she is truly a phenomenal, special person.
This comparison trap leads me to put the book down for a day or so at a time. The cure I find, when I get stuck in this comparison trap, is that I remember that we were all made differently and we all have our own gifts.
Michelle is a very smart, organized and gregarious person. She is great at leading organizations. She has been the executive director of a number of non profit organization and she was a corporate lawyer before that.
However, perhaps she does not come up with crazy ideas all time like I do. (For example, I have started planning my own version of the game Clue, except this version is a Taylor Swift themed version. It would have all the little Taylor hallmarks in it like: windows, Mirrorball’s, and scarves).
Back to Michelle Obama ——-A healthy thing to do is to appreciate her for who she is but to not compare myself to her. As I am reading I can enjoy her story, I need to remember to not compare myself to her.
I am about a little more than half way through and I just love this book. I just got to the part where Barack Obama, Michelle’s husband, is contemplating a run for the US Senate. Michelle and Barack have decided to seek the help of a marriage counselor because she is often away doing political stuff and she is feeling disconnected.
The one thing that has popped into my mind while I read this section is a sketch from the television program called Key & Peele. On the show, there is a reoccurring sketch about President Obama and his anger translator name Luther. Luther comes in when President Obama needs to express his anger in a less politically correct way, for example when a situation requires him to “be real” for the black audience. In one of the sketches Michelle Obama needs her anger translator to have a “real” conversation with Barack.
Here is the clip.
Warning: this video is not workplace/ small child/ older relative friendly. There is some spicy language involved.
In any case, I hope that clip, if you chose to view it.
Have you read Becoming by Michelle Obama. What did you think?
I might write more about it when I finish the book.
