QUOTE

People are still dreaming all kinds of banal and boring dreams about the Obamas. They tell me about them all the time.

Every time the Obamas head uptown for parent-teacher conferences, the city comes to a halt. Teenagers jump up and down, screaming, camera phones waving; cops smile; moms, leaning on the doors of their S.U.V.’s, momentarily relax.

I was once stuck with the girls at a Wisconsin Avenue stoplight on such an occasion. Afterward, before parking the car to run errands, we stopped and gazed upon the hallowed patch of asphalt that we’d just shared with the Obama tires. It was a solemn moment.