I miss his laugh. His voice. I miss the long pauses he took while speaking, not because he wasn’t sure what to say next, but because his words needed to sit before he moved on. He was incredibly intelligent, but he didn’t show it off. No, he was humble. I miss that.
I miss his manners. He was so polite. The way he treated everyone with respect, even those who disagreed with him, is something I will never forget, as it seems so rare nowadays. He was always willing to listen to people. Equality was important to him. Oh, how he talked about equality, and how I listened.
I miss his jokes. He had a range of humor, from dad jokes to witty facial expressions to self-deprecating quips. He was funny; no one could deny that. He could really make anyone smile. Speaking of smiles, oh how I miss his, so bright and genuine. Not forced or tight, or even a little creepy, like the smiles of other people I know.
I miss his style. Sophisticated, sleek, reserved. He could dress up or dress down, and he’d look cool either way. Some didn’t like the fashion risks he took, but I did. A handful of men don’t know how to dress: their ties are too big, suit jackets too long, and trousers too baggy. But he always looked polished.
Image source: The Washington Post
I miss his tweets. I’m lucky if he tweets once a week now. But his posts used to be constant, at least once a day. However, he never crossed into the territory of obsessive tweeting. No, he was always good at knowing how to appropriately time his tweets. I wish others followed his lead.
I miss how he didn’t embarrass me. I was proud to stand behind him and honored to give him my support. In turn, he represented me with dignity and civility. Since he’s been gone, all I feel is shame.
I miss how he condemned hatred. His denouncement of clear and obvious racism was inspiring, even though it was, like, kind of the least a person could do. Still, apparently, others can’t even do that.
I miss how he didn’t sexually assault women. No, he was a self-proclaimed feminist. He didn’t engage in “locker room talk”. He had decency. Like, if certain people now just had the bare minimum level of decency, a sliver of what he had, I’d be good.
I miss how he was never sued by porn stars. I know it’s crazy, and maybe I am being too demanding, but I just really find it honorable how he was never accused of sleeping with a porn star. I find it even more respectable that he was never in turn sued for the nonexistent affair.
I miss how he didn’t threaten nuclear war. He was mature, some would say. Level-headed. Dare I even call him a stable genius?
He’s happier now, he has to be. I’ve seen pictures. He beams with joy. He’s living his best life. He deserves it. I’m selfish, but I want him back. I miss him.
I miss Barack Obama.