Rants of a Sane Woman

     In a little over a month, I will turn 50.  Yep...the big 5-0...a half century...closer to the end than to the beginning. If I am honest, I must say that this birthday has hit me a bit harder than 30 or 40.  With both of those milestones, I gaily danced through the day and never looked back.  This one, though, has made me stop and take a breath.  It has made me look a little more closely at my life - where I have been, what I have done and where I am going. I know that there is one thing that has followed me around for 28 years of my life - I am fat.  Yep, I can call it "cuddly", "well upholstered" or even "fluffy", but the truth is that I am a size 14 on a 5'1" package. But this is not some "oh, woe is me, I am unloved and unworthy" rant.  Nope, that is definitely not me.  Let me begin my story.    I guess that the "fat" part of my life started when I was 22 and I gained 40 pounds within a 3 month period. I won't go

I was born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi.  Because of that, I have an accent, I have a spine of steel and I have an aversion to mosquitoes. But, there is something that I do not have - and it is something that many people, including family and friends, assume without question.  It is the feeling that in some way, my race makes me smarter, better or more hard working than anyone else. I have held my own feelings about racism since I was a small child.  I trace it back to the day in February, 1969, when my elementary school was desegregated.  I was in the first grade, and all I can remember about the day is the people screaming at a busload of children.  We got off the bus and were led through this angry protest as quickly as possible, but I still remember being afraid of these people. A few weeks later, I received my first spanking in school - for sharing a soda with a first grader.  The problem?  Her skin was black and the teacher told me, "She's not like you. You don'

Mr. Romney, Over the past two weeks, you have stated twice that "we don't have people who die because they lack insurance."  This shows how far you are removed from the difficult choices of everyday American citizens. Your wife, Ann, has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. You have my sympathy, because I understand how difficult it is when someone you love has an uncurable illness. However, you should consider how your journey with this horrible disease is different from many other Americans who aren't blessed with your wealth.  Doctors agree that the most important part of health care for the multiple sclerosis patient is maintenance care - including prescription drugs, regular doctor visits, rehabilitation for weakened muscles and medical testing to confirm progression of the disease.  The prescription drugs in use for keeping multiple sclerosis symptoms in check cost $3,000 each per month, per drug.  The fact that two or more of these drugs could be u