23rd and Dexter by Jack Farrar

Diane Thornhill

Diane Thornhill lives in the University Park neighborhood southwest of Park Hill. But she enjoys visiting Park Hill from time to time to see friends, and to buy pesto and ciabatta bread at Spinelli’s.

I asked who she would like to be sitting next to on the bench. She didn’t hesitate. “The Obamas. I would love to meet them. I think Barack and Michelle have both served their country well, with wisdom and heart. That’s a rare combination. Barack is a very thoughtful man, unlike our current president. He sees the world as a very complicated place, where we must understand the needs of people from all kinds of backgrounds.” Thornhill’s first exposure to Obama was via the 2004 Democratic Convention. “I watched his speech and I was mesmerized. I thought, ‘Wow, who is this guy? He’s going places.’”

Thornhill describes Michelle Obama as one of the country’s most intelligent and effective First Ladies. “She is so eloquent. I got goose bumps when she said, ‘When they go low, we go high.’ She and Barack share a vision of an America that’s totally inclusive, and they’re both genuinely committed to it. As a couple they represent what I think this country is all about: moral leadership.”

If Thornhill were sitting next to the former First Lady, what would she ask her? “What are your thoughts and feelings about the current political scene – are you optimistic? And I would be curious to know what the Obamas talk about around the dinner table. Outside of politics, what do they discuss?”