I’m Not Yet Ready to Abandon the Possibility of America

I’m Not Yet Ready to Abandon the Possibility of America

I wrote my book for young people—as an invitation(ˌinvəˈtāSH(ə)n) to bring about, through hard work, determination(dəˌtərməˈnāSH(ə)n), and a big dose(dōs) of imagination, an America that finally aligns(əˈlīn) with all that is best in us.

At the end of my presidency(ˈprez(ə)dənsē), Michelle and I boarded(ˈbôrdəd) Air Force One for the last time and traveled west for a long-deferred(dəˈfər) break. The mood on the plane was bittersweet(ˈbidərˌswēt). Both of us were drained, physically and emotionally, not only by the labors(ˈlābər) of the previous eight years but by the unexpected results of an election in which someone diametrically(ˌdīəˈmetrək(ə)lē) opposed(əˈpōzd) to everything we stood for had been chosen as my successor(səkˈsesər). Still, having run our leg of the race(rās) to completion, we took satisfaction(ˌsadəsˈfakSH(ə)n) in knowing that we’d done our very best—and that however much I’d fallen short as president, whatever projects I’d hoped but failed to accomplish, the country was in better shape than it had been when I’d started.

For a month, Michelle and I slept late, ate(āt) leisurely(ˈlēZHərlē) dinners, went for long walks, swam(swam) in the ocean, took stock, replenished(rəˈpleniSH) our friendship, rediscovered our love, and planned for a less eventful but hopefully no less satisfying second act. For me, that included writing my presidential(ˌprezəˈden(t)SH(ə)l) memoirs(ˈmemˌwär). And by the time I sat down with a pen and yellow pad (I still like writing things out in longhand, finding that a computer gives even my roughest(rəf) drafts too smooth a gloss(ɡläs) and lends half-baked(bākt) thoughts the mask of tidiness(ˈtīdēnəs)), I had a clear outline of a book in my head.

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https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/11/barack-obama-i-still-believe-america/617073/