I know this post is kind of silly, but I have been thinking about how Obama’s life story seems so real to me. The reality of his story is evident to me because we share a similar family history.
- Both raised in single parent homes. My father left when I was three, and in similar fashion to Obama, I feel like I was shaped more by him not being there.
- Mixed Racial Heritage. My mother was white, and my father was Hispanic. The name on my birth certificate is Paul Benitez, which clearly identifies my Hispanic roots. When I was 12, years after the my mother’s divorce, we changed my name to the present Paul Jones Dayton. Dayton was my mother’s maiden name, while Jones was my grandmother’s maiden name.
- Close relationship with grandmother. My grandma was like a second mom, or in some ways, similar to a father.
