Notes from Dr. Sam

Good Day,

Recently I had a chance encounter at the post office on Military Road. I had gone in to mail a package, and a rainstorm came up. As I turned to go out, an old friend of mine came through the glass doors. 

Jim Shults and his wife, Sue, had been members of our practice almost from the time we opened the doors over on Highway 5. Jim was a Vice President of one of the local banks and his wife, Sue, was first a teacher and then the Principal of Cauldwell School. 

As Jim wiped the rain off his jacket and I watched out the glass front of the post office, we began talking. Like me, Jim and Sue have retired. When I asked him what he was doing with his retirement, he was quick to tell me that they were “living their lives with intention.” They are involved in their family, their church, and traveling.

What he said struck a chord with me. He was talking about wellness. For Jim and his wife, each day has a purpose. Instead of merely taking what life throws at them, they make sure to fit into each day those things that matter most to them. Rather than dwelling on the negativity and distractions of society, they intentionally pursuetheir values, especially things that inspire them.

In my own life, Ms. Annette and I have a strong love and bond that has developed over 40 years. Our sons, Will and Adam; our niece, Erin; and our Granddaughters, Charlie and Dakota, are important touchstones in our existence. My friends with whom I have lunched for the last forty-two years are part and parcel of my being. 

If I have any advice, it would be: 

 Assume you are responsible for your own life and health, because you are.

Surround yourself with family and friends you love and who love you.

Start exercising today and don’t ever stop. No exercise is perfect; find something you enjoy.

Eat a good diet low in simple sugar, fat, salt, and alcohol. Eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, complex carbohydrates, and modest amounts of low-fat protein.

Be generous and kind to yourself and others, and get adequate rest and relaxation.  

Learn to reduce the level of stress in your life and find a way to effectively manage the rest. 

Do not use tobacco or vaped nicotine.

If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation.

Stay physically, intellectually, and emotionally active until the day you die.

Fill your days with something you find gratifying and fulfilling. 

Illness will come in life, it is the nature of life; deal with it early, then repeat the first ten items.

Pursue the spiritual side of your nature, however you understand it.

Endurance sports like running and bike riding have been an important part of my life since I was twenty-two years old. Writing about life in Arkansas and, for the last ten years, writing about health and disease in our dear state, have become an important part of my life.

Have a good journey,

Sam

 Dr. Sam Taggart is a retired doctor/writer/marathon runner who practiced in Benton for 45 years. He recently released For Every Family, A Family Doctor: a history of the modern Family Medicine Movement in Arkansas. His other books include Country Doctors of Arkansas, The Public’s Health, With a Heavy Heart and We All Hear Voices.