Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, July 24, 1995 TAG: 9507240137
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press|
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
Browsing a museum on a recent Washington outing, an unwitting woman told the first lady, ``You sure look like Hillary Clinton.''
``So I'm told,'' Clinton answered without revealing her identity.
She shares the anecdote in her first syndicated column, which appeared Sunday in about 100 newspapers around the country.
She tells, too, of having a sudden urge to drive during a recent trip to Arkansas, much to the dismay of her Secret Service agents.
``On a quiet Friday afternoon, I jumped behind the wheel of a car and ... drove myself around town,'' she writes. ``For several hours, I enjoyed a marvelous sensation of personal freedom.''
She relates both incidents to illustrate ``the odd duality of my role as first lady.''
``On the one hand, I feel privileged to meet people and go places totally out of reach for most men and women,'' she said. ``On the other hand, experiences that millions of Americans take for granted have become extraordinary for me.''
Her inaugural column seems bent on demonstrating that Clinton has more in common with ordinary Americans than they might realize.
As an activist first lady, Clinton has been criticized for injecting herself into policy-making, particularly last year's failed health-care reform effort. Since then, she has tried to project a softer image, with considerable focus on international women's issues.
Clinton said she hopes her weekly column will give her a chance to share ``the unforgettable faces, heroic life stories, historic events, pressing issues and comedic moments that have most defined my time in the White House.''
Along the way, she wants to offer a clearer personal profile.
``The truth is that sometimes it is hard even for me to recognize the Hillary Clinton that other people see,'' Clinton said.
Not that she's complaining, she hastens to add: ``Whatever minor inconveniences my situation presents, I wouldn't trade it for the world.''
Clinton said she hopes her column, like Eleanor Roosevelt's daily columns years ago, ``will prompt all of us to think more about the human dimension of our lives'' and begin a nationwide conversation.
She ends it with an invitation: ``So let's talk again.''
Clinton's column is distributed by Creators Syndicate of Los Angeles, which will donate most of the proceeds to charity. The first lady will take no money for the column.
by CNB