Obama: An Intimate Portrait” by Pete Souza

Jeff and I went to see the photographer Pete Souza speak last night at the Curran Theatre in San Francisco about his book “Obama: An Intimate Portrait.”  It was the most perfect Thursday date night. It began with an Uber ride to Union Square, followed by an excellent dinner of Mexican food with margaritas, and then a 90-minute-no-intermission show. Those who know me well recognize that the key to my heart is not diamonds, but a 90-minute-no-intermission show. This was a show for the history books and history has always been one of my favorite subjects. Souza, previously a photographer for the “Chicago Sun Times,” started photographing Obama during his first year as a senator. He then followed Obama from The Hill into the White House, where he captured literally millions of pictures during the President’s two terms. You realize as you listen to Souza that Obama allowed him behind the scenes of his presidency because Pete is kind, compassionate, funny and just a salt-of-the-earth kind of guy. He enjoys a huge Instagram following too at #petesouza. For those of us sitting in the beautiful Curran Theatre, it was a trip down memory lane filled with many laughs but also many tears. The pictures of Obama with Michelle and his daughters, as well as other people’s children, are pure joy. And then there are pictures of shear stress and grief, such as the president hunting down Bin Laden and later the president hugging the mother of a little boy who died in the Sandy Hook massacre. With every photo and backstory you think “What a role model he truly was.” Everyone who bought a ticket to Thursday night’s event was given a copy of Souza’s book. As we all carried our heavy coffee table books out of the theatre into the night, many of us smiled and wiped our tears. It was a lovely evening, and a wonderful time to reflect on Obama’s class, wit and accomplishments during his eight years in the White House. But as we got into our Ubers to go home, I felt like we were all thinking the same thing: It seemed like such a magical eight years and what next? To purchase this book on Amazon click here.