Hmmmm

I read the paper every Sunday. I usually skim through it for stories I'd like to read. This morning I found one right away, right on the cover. I recognized my philosophy professor on the cover this morning and I read the story. The class I took with her last semester was an Applied Ethics course called Drugs and Justice. Because I was the only philosophy student in the class (it was a large class mixed with many majors) I got the opportunity to work with her one on one to develop a very interesting paper. She worked with me after class every week helping me think about issues and come up with interesting topics I could potentially write about. In the end I ended up writing my paper about entheogens, or religious use drugs, as I've already blogged about of course. She gave me insight and help about this topic. As I met with her every week we usually say outside after class as she'd eat her lunch and we'd discuss. People would randomly come up to her and ask how she was doing and I always got the sense that she was coping with something difficult. One of my previous professors came up to her once and they had a long discussion as the other professor recently lost her mother. I listened as they both talked about life and death and how they each coped with it. I knew Professor Battin (the current professor) was obviously dealing with something but I never could figure it out and I wasn't rude enough to really ask. I also admit that during each of those sessions with her I was always in a rush as I wanted to hurry in to work. I will also admit that I could have done a LOT better in that class than the B+ I got at the end, but I figured it was my last semester and I just didn't have the energy.

Well today after I read the article in the paper I feel rather odd about things. All this time she was helping me and she had this HUGE issue in her life. It amazes me. It says in the article that she continued working in order to keep herself grounded. This is amazing to me. I really did learn a lot from her during that class and it was one of the more enjoyable classes I've ever taken in my life. I just wish I could have had more heart in it. I guess hindsight is 20/20 now. I'm going to keep the article from the Tribune, I'm not really sure why. Maybe one day when I need some help coping with something I can pull it out and see her strength.

Here is the link to the online version of the article: Click Here

I highly suggest at least watching the little video clip of her speaking. Very thought provoking.

It makes you think, in a good way :)

I wonder if I should send her an email and say something, but what do I say? I'm of no significance to her life, but I somehow want her to know that my experience with her will stay with me forever. I dunno...I'll think about it.