“I don’t know, Mr. President, I like to work. Getting a little hard on the joints. But I reckon I might stay as long as you’re here to make sure the garden looks good.”
Ed Thomas is an older man working as a gardener in the White House. Obama observes Ed Thomas and thinks that he is aging and he might need retirement. When Obama asks him when he will retire, El Thomas tells him that he is not ready to retire because he wants to continue exercising his joints. Ed Thomas tells Obama that he will stay and continue working as long he is President. The quote shows Obama's friendliness without boundaries. The President did not discriminate based on social status, and that is an important lesson the reader learns from this quote.
“It is just stealing, Barry.”
Obama remembers having a conversation with his Indonesian stepfather, who was furious with the country's level of corruption. According to Obama's stepfather, the government and other institutions are focused on stealing public resources. Despite being a child, Obama listens carefully, and he asks questions why people are so corrupt without thinking of the common person.
“There are people in the world who think only about themselves, Bear. They do not care what happens to other people, so as they get what they want. They put other people down to make themselves feel important."
Obama's mother was a woman of substance who strongly believed in good virtues. Obama learned a lot of good morals from his mother. For instance, Obama remembers how his mother told him the significance of treating people well. According to Obama's mother, it is not good to exploit others for selfish gains. Additionally, Obama is reminded by his mother not to make others suffer but instead fight for their rights and empower them.
