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Michelle Obama on Bad Days
May 13, 2009 7:47 PM
ABC News' Yunji de Nies reports: In a quintessential first lady photo-op, Michelle Obama spent this afternoon reading to a group of children. The First Lady visited a group of third graders at the Ferebee-Hope Community School in Southeast Washington, who participate in the "Community in Schools" after-school program. According to her press office, her visit was intended to highlight the importance of after-school programs, particularly those for lower-income children.
Mrs. Obama read the book, "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" by Judith Viorst. Afterwards she and the children talked about what makes a bad day (gum in one's hair, falling in mud on one's birthday) and what to do on such occasions (remember there's always tomorrow).
"Every day isn't a good day, right. Nobody's life is perfect and nobody is going to have a great day every day. Everybody has a bad day -- even me. Even the President of the United States has a couple of bad days," Mrs. Obama said.
One child asked if Mrs. Obama thought it was hard to be the first lady. She does not. But asked if it is hard to be the President, she responded, "It's very hard to be the President, yes. Being the President is one of the hardest jobs in the world, I think, because you're dealing with every kind of problem you can imagine. Almost anything that goes on in the world, at some point the President has to think about it and help fix it."
Mrs. Obama continued, "So you imagine walking up every day, thinking about the biggest problems that are facing this country and the world, and people are looking at you for the answers, right -- it's a tough job."
The First Lady said all of the children could help the President in his job by doing what they're supposed to do, working hard, listening to their teacher, and lastly, never quitting.
"When something gets hard, because it will be -- there will be plenty of things that will be hard for you all; there are things that are hard for me -- will you promise me that you will not quit?" she asked.
The children agreed to do so.
"Okay, because if you do that, you will help the President so much. If you do that every day -- from now as eight, nine, 10-year-olds until you are grown-ups -- you will help the President. You'll make his job a lot easier," she told them.
The First Lady then high fived several of the children and posed of a picture, before holding a closed-door meeting with several of the after-school program's administrators.
FLOTUS fashion watch: Mrs. Obama wore a navy blue sleeveless dress with white polka-dots.
May 13, 2009 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (46)
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Silky, you are right on point, thank you for your comment as I was thinking do I really want to respond to this ignorance - People write as though they expect her to cover all topics in one statement.
Posted by: richmo58 | May 15, 2009 8:56:53 PM
Listen up, people ~
Every one of you has entered something very important in this "User Comment" section.....YOUR OPINIONS.....
Now, we say, wouldn't all this "hub-bub" being so VERY boring if we all agreed with each other???
Think about it darlings....
ta...ta...
Posted by: The Rip Sisters | May 15, 2009 4:32:53 PM
some of you people are so full of hate that one of these days you're going to burst. nothing the Pres and FL do is ever going to please you. it used to make me mad and then I realized just how sad you are - so I'm just going to sit back and appreciate this administration - mistakes and all - and quit worrying about you. I have no doubt that at the end of 4 yrs we will be much better off then we were when we started.
Posted by: MaryE | May 15, 2009 4:09:06 PM
keep up your are achampion of everything
Posted by: janet moraa | May 15, 2009 10:27:29 AM
"The dress she's wearing, by the way, is about $3,600."
How do you know? Did she pay $3,600 or is that what it sells for?
Posted by: Silky | May 15, 2009 10:16:24 AM
Mrs. Obama was really encouraging these kids. Too many kids in lower income families do not get encouragement. I was one of them. In striding to make the President proud, they will find their own way. They also must learn not to focus only on themselves. Focusing only on yourself creates self-absorbed, complaining, whining, negative people. Sound familiar???
Posted by: EddieG3 | May 14, 2009 7:24:10 PM
The dress she's wearing, by the way, is about $3,600.
Posted by: MayBee | May 14, 2009 7:13:42 PM
The children can be motivated by the President's story, but their hard work is about their own lives and their own dreams. It's also about the country. Working hard because we must help "our leader" isn't the right kind of motivation.
They don't understand that they are the public servants. They think we're supposed to serve them. I noticed this during the campaign too.
I also didn't like it on Easter when they stood on the balcony and waved like they were the royal family. I have never seen any US President's family do that.
Posted by: Karen | May 14, 2009 5:11:03 PM
I just stumbbled across this: You have got to be kidding. I can not believe that GROWN people are sitting around bashing this comment that the First Lady made.
"According to her press office, her visit was intended to highlight the importance of after-school programs, particularly those for lower-income children"
In most lower-income/urban areas the President is a motivation for these kids. She wasn’t speaking to some kids in the suburbs you idiots, she was in a lower-income neighborhood where most people are actually motivated by the Presidents story and can be even more motivated hearing what she said, especially from her.
Get A Life
Posted by: richmo58 | May 14, 2009 4:15:55 PM
Those were very encouraging words. She is always on point.
Posted by: John | May 14, 2009 1:30:56 PM
Michelle should have told the students to work hard so they would be able to take advantage of the college education that I will be helping pay for.
*******************
Not exactly, but just curious how you do feel about paying for additional welfare, EIT's, Food Stamps, etc as a result of the uneducated being able to secure good paying jobs and compete globally?
Posted by: Spence | May 14, 2009 12:59:22 PM
TO: AMJ
Stop calling dissenting commenters "haters"....I'm not a hater, I'm just running out of money. Aren't you?
Posted by: MrEd | May 14, 2009 12:45:33 PM
Michelle should have told the students to work hard so they would be able to take advantage of the college education that I will be helping pay for. I believe this week Joe Biden told some students to study hard because he and President Obama were going to pay for their college education. Hope and Change.
Posted by: MrEd | May 14, 2009 12:40:01 PM
I wonder how often the Obama children were encouraged to help President Bush.
Posted by: mad | May 14, 2009 12:01:55 PM
I just love this Lady - She reflects the very essence of what a good wife, mother and friend ought to be.
I have read a few of the comments, the negative ones and the positive ones and I just smiled.
I thought the world had forgotten about good moral values, teaching young ones from a young age the importance of being good citizenship but I am happy and inspired to see that people are doing it and the First Lady is echoing it on a "World - Stage" I am so HAPPY.
If we all as grown -ups do more of this we will help increase the Country's GDP and this young ones are learning about this from a young age. They will never help the current President but as they grow older they will understand that the outcome of their lives helps to build or destroy a nation.
Congratulations 1st Lady - Keep reaching out.
Posted by: Pammy | May 14, 2009 11:06:07 AM
AMJ, what do you think of the hate that was spewed in Obama's home "church"? Were they jealous, bitter? Just curious.
Posted by: Hmmm... | May 14, 2009 10:48:45 AM
The kid ask if it's hard to be president, so she made the link between their lives and his having a good day. What's wrong with that. To me it says more about making the world a better place, than Obama. The people posting all the negative comments are just haters, they can't stand that Obama is such a popular president. That's what jealousy does. Just makes you bitter, and unable to appreciate a good moment.
Posted by: AMJ | May 14, 2009 10:26:56 AM
"...you will help the President. You'll make his job a lot easier."
What a load of hooey to lay on little kids. They should work hard and become better educated to improve their own lot in life, not make "The President's" job a lot easier.
Nice mention of the sleeveless frock. What is it about Michelle's arms that fascinate the press?
Posted by: Mongo | May 14, 2009 10:15:23 AM
What greater way to empower kids and give them a sense of both service and accomplishment than to tell them by being responsible, studying hard - they are helping our President and country.
==============================
A better speechwriter would have mentioned helping the country.
Posted by: mad | May 14, 2009 9:48:21 AM
I'm always inspired by her.. making my 'bad days' fewer.
Posted by: DontGet818OnMeNow | May 14, 2009 9:40:44 AM
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