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HIGH MUSEUM OF ART ATLANTA | HIGH.ORG
se s°nDAYS
Enjoy free admission and special programs
on the second Sunday of each month.
Designed for little kids, big kids, and the whole family, Second Sundays are
for everyone. Visit us each month and experience new interactive, innovative
family activities inspired by our collections and ever-changing exhibitions.
Second Sundays are sponsored by the Lettie Pate Evans Foundation.
2017 SALES HISTORY
20: Average Days on the Market | 98%: Average Sold to List Price
1209 SPRINGDALE ROAD
OFFERED FOR $1,299,000
1108 OXFORD ROAD
OFFERED FOR $1,450,000
1 IN 3 DRUID HILLS HOMES
SOLD BY PEGGY HIBBERT, 2017
SOLD
PEGGY HIBBERT
Founding Partner
#1 Agent, Dekalb, REALTORS
c. 404.444.0192 // o. 404.874.0300
peggy@atlantafinehomes.com
atlantafinehomes.com // sir.com
Sotheby's
Atlanta Fine
Homes
INTERNATIONAL REALTY
©MMXVIII Sotheby's International Realty and the Sotheby's International Realty logo are registered (or unregistered) service marks used with
permission. Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated. Equal Housing Opportunity.
1
■M" «■_
a
Half the man
used to be
As 2018 begins, I’m nearly two years on from being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
In that time period, I’ve lost more than 100 pounds and put my diabetes into remission
thanks to diet and exercise. My A1C level is now 5 (down from
8.1), my blood pressure is normal and I regularly walk four to five
miles a day. And while I’m still constantly told I’m “half the man I
used to be,” adjusting to the slimmer me has had its challenges.
When I look in a mirror, I sometimes don’t recognize myself
or, even more disorienting, I see myself from long ago when I was
slimmer. It’s like a weird visual echo. This sensation is coupled with
a nearly life-long recurring dream of looking into a mirror and
seeing someone else staring back at me. Now that it’s happened in
real life, it almost feels like a form of depersonalization disorder.
I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve walked into my own
bathroom or a fitting room to try on clothes (more on that in a
moment) and thought someone else was in there with me.
Ah, yes, buying clothes. It’s been so long since I could walk
into Target or Macy’s and buy clothes off the rack, I only recently
realized that was an option again. Most of my clothes came from
the big and tall offerings from Amazon. Going from a size 46 to
34 is fantastic, but relearning to wear “normal-size” clothes has also
been a challenge. After years of wearing loose fitting, baggy t-shirts
and jeans, I have to keep searching my memory bank to remind
myself how clothes are supposed to fit and feel on my body.
Perhaps the most jarring thing about weight loss is how people react to you. At my
heaviest (300 pounds), I felt both hidden and exposed at the same time. I was often
concerned that people were looking at me because of my size, but came to realize I was also
being ignored because of it. When I first started losing weight, a couple of acquaintances
assumed I must be deathly ill; one even asked outright if I had cancer. While getting a
compliment on your appearance is always nice, I spent at least a year having to grin and
bear it, hearing variations of “how much better you look now that you’re not fat.” I didn’t
think I was terribly unattractive when I was heavier, but people have made it clear that was
not the case. The scrutiny — from the fit of my clothes to the slimness of my face and arms
to the way I walk — made me feel more exposed than ever.
There is a myth sold by gyms, diet programs and the media that once you’ve lost a large
amount of weight, you are a happier, sexier and more fulfilled person. I felt those things
before I lost weight. If you’re in the process of losing weight, don’t listen to the voices that
tell you that you will be a better person in the end. You already are. Lose the weight for
you and no one else.
Before I close out this month’s letter, a few small housekeeping notes. You’ll notice that
our sections have a new running order inside the magazine. We think it’s a more natural
progression from news to features. You’ll also notice that our Go Green section is now
called Sustainability. We thought this change better defines the things we’re writing about
in this section every month. In the coming months, we’ll be rolling out new features on
food, interior design and gardening. Stay tuned! [D
EDITORS
LETTER
Collin Kelley
collin@atlantaintown-
paper.com
Photo by Jacob Nguyen
4 january 2018 | fTTI
AtlantalNtownPaper.com