A Conversation with Elizabeth
1998
Stars and Stripes

From:          Elizabeth  
To:            LMixson@PEC.com
Sent:          Tuesday, May 5, 1998 12:26 PM
Subject:       Stars and Stripes
 
You would not believe the professor I had last night.  I had prepared ahead of time to just keep my mouth shut in his class for the next 12 weeks.  I never explained that Jones School of Law is a private law school, which is affiliated with Faulkner University, a private college, although the affiliation for the "most part" is non-influential.  The reason that's important is that Faulkner is affiliated with a church. 
For example, there is no smoking on the campus allowed anywhere, including the law school.  Religious studies is emphasized.  I think I can summarize it by saying that Faulkner invited Dan Quayle to speak on traditional family values at their fundraiser.  That sums it up, if you know what I mean.  However, a small minority of the law professors are more affiliated to Faulkner's mentality than most of the others are, and I knew ahead of time that the professor last night is in that camp. 
 
Well, in some ways he surprised me because he made very critical remarks about education in the South, but here's the picture.  The class is "Constitutional Law."  He is wearing a tie with the statute of liberty on it.  On his lapel he has an American Flag.  He is wearing cowboy boots.  His home phone number is the year the Constitution was inaugurated.  And this is "for real" not just a first night "gimmick."
 
However, he is a very clear and well spoken person, with almost a stentorian, announcer type voice.  What was interesting was that he went back through some of the history of England that I had just looked at on the J. Campbell tape, so it was very interesting.  The subject was "influences on the Constitutional thinkers."  However, I noticed that, to me, he seemed to slant towards the religious influences on the Constitution as dominant, although he certainly covered other influences adequately and well (I spent half an hour last night after I got home looking up names of people he had mentioned in class).  I think I will learn quite a bit.
 
Thanks for the info on the arthritis drug.  I will do a lit search and see what the scoop is.  I keep a file of "personal stuff" which is articles which may or may not relate to my own health.  Mainly it includes things of interest about Alzheimer's, arthritis, osteoporosis prevention, etc., but also auto-immune information and information about vitamins, etc.
 
I went through a "Healthy Weigh" program last year in January which ironically was run by Baptist Health.  It was before I started here.  It was moderately expensive for a 12 week program, but I had a discount coupon.  Basically, it was instruction, weekly weigh-ins, and we recorded EVERYTHING we ate everyday, and what time of day we ate it, etc.  I had put on weight when I left the public library, which I wanted to take off.  I was very successful because I rather painlessly lost 20 pounds.  (The program did not advocate rapid weight loss, but aimed for 1 to 1.5 pounds a week).  I also discovered the "hot chocolate" trick.  It works/worked really well for me at night.  That's important because my eating problem, if I have one, is not in the day, or at least not from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (or now even until 9:30 p.m.).  It's at night.  My nutritionist said once "You eat hardly anything during the day."  But, I'm really not that hungry then, or perhaps "hunger" is not salient and I don't pay attention to it.  I don't know.  However, at night, when I am reading, etc.  I get so hungry.  Last semester or two, after I got out of class, I would be SO hungry, just ravenous.  I am really trying to correct eating after class, by eating my dinner at about 5:30.  Then, after class, I have a "short list" of what I can have if I am hungry.  Hot chocolate, or a few crackers and a slice of low fat cheese, or graham crackers and tea, or cereal and milk.  Even though I ate a "good" dinner last night at 5:30, I was HUNGRY when I got home.  In fact I was so hungry that I didn't eat anything, because I felt that if I started eating I would eat way too much.  I usually have a bagel in the morning as well, with skim milk, and coffee. 
 
I hate to "diet" formally as well, but I made a vow after I took that class, that I would not allow my weight to get past a certain point ever again, or if/when it did, then I had to lose the weight immediately.  So, that's what I'm doing.  My "diet" is not drastic, because that won't work for me.  I'm eating what I usually do, but not extra or bigger portions--it's basically what you probably do--cutting back. 
 
Well, enough of "diets."  When I went to see Les Mis I seemed to notice how many fat couples came in together.  There was a couple in front of me, and she was so "fat" and she kept reaching her hand into the buttered popcorn over and over, as did her husband.  However, they were enjoying themselves.  But then I thought, will they enjoy their diabetes, their early coronaries, their arthritis, etc. 
 
There is so much to know in the world.  That struck me watching Campbell and in class last night.  Sometimes I wish I didn't have to sleep, so I could use the time otherwise.
 
Enough.  Elizabeth

The whole thing about the law school she was going to, like she choose the school, she knew where she lived, Montgomery Alabama of all places, one of the most southern of the southern states, what did she expect. I continued to be surprised that she remained there, and wondered what it was that held her to a place so seemingly opposing to her own beliefs.

Ho-Hum