‘NOTHING WAS NORMAL ANY LONGER’
IN HIS time in the White House, Barack Obama faced many trials and tribulations, dealt with crises and catastrophes and by the time his second term was over, he had far more grey than black in his hair But being president of the United States wasn’t all about work. In this extract from A Promised Land, Obama’s acclaimed new best-selling memoir, he talks about the other side of his presidency: how it affected his private life, his children and his beloved wife. Coaching baseball, playing pool, laughing with the kids – all characterised his time in office. And he also quit smoking.
FACED with the prospect of lying to my daughter or setting a bad example, I called the White House doctor and asked him to send me a box of nicotine gum. It did the trick, for I haven’t had a cigarette since. But I did end up replacing one addiction with another.
Through the remainder of my time in office, I would chomp on gum ceaselessly, the empty packets constantly spilling out of my pockets and leaving a trail of shiny square breadcrumbs for others to find on the floor, under my desk or wedged between sofa cushions.
Basketball offered another reliable refuge. When my schedule allowed, Reggie Love [Obama’s personal aide] would organise a game on the weekend, rounding up some of his buddies and reserving time for us on an indoor court at the Fort McNair army base, the FBI headquarters or the department of the interior.
The runs were intense – with a couple of exceptions, most
