Return to the Land

Retirement: A New Life Begins

Upon reaching the age of 56 and having been in medicine for a total of 35 years, including medical school, I felt I had paid by dues to society. Again after discussing plans with Jan I decided to call it a day and do something else with the rest of my life. Medicine had been traumatic and I felt the stress of the many years, long nights and weekends. The children were all educated and had families of their own so my family obligations had diminished. What would I do? Guess what? The love and desire to farm remained deeply imbedded in my soul. After all, that’s how my ancestors had lived, why not do something that would be less demanding and more enjoyable at the same time? Due to drastic economic changes that had occurred in agriculture for the worse I knew that this farming lifestyle would not sustain a comfortable living. Fortunately, we had planned years in advance and most everything that required capital was in place. The home was remodeled, major buildings constructed, and the farm machinery had been purchased. We sold our home in Roanoke and our stock in Lewis Gale Building Corporation and headed west to Bland County on April 1, 1993. The Angus herd was bought and has been increasing yearly since then. For the first time in 35 years I didn’t have to answer the phone at night and go out in the cold winter. Even better was that I didn’t have to take abuse from the insurance comp anies and H.M.O.s (Health Maintenance Organizations) in defending what I was doing on behalf of my patients. It took several months before I could actually sleep through the night. Soon I would rise in the morning, read the paper, and have a leisurely breakfast with Jan. Other areas gradually changed in our lives. I had always missed going to church on Sunday and having an hour to meditate spiritually. We joined the Wesendonck United Methodist Church that I had attended as a child. We sit on the next to back row as I used to do. We had been practicing Presbyterians but I’d come home to where I felt comfortable with my God. Jan had been raised a Methodist so she fit right in. I enjoy Sundays now debating various aspects of the Bible and learning from my fellow church members who are far more

knowledgeable than I am on the scripture. I’ve learned more since 1993 about spiritual behavior than all of my proceeding life. The Sunday School class coerced me into teaching once monthly and they surely correct me when I go astray and rightly so.

Wesendonck United Methodist Church on Nobusiness Creek in 1999 Rebuilt in 1935 after the original church burned

134