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A recent notice on my phone that former President Jimmy Carter was celebrating his 100th birthday prompted me to appreciate why some people enjoy such longevity and others don’t. He is the first former president to reach that milestone. I interviewed Mr.
Carter twice during my previous lifetime in television. Once, as he visited Charleston in the mid-1970s during his early days in office and again many years later as he promoted a book he had written. He had a kind and gentle spirit and will be remembered as much for what he did after he left office as for his humanitarian efforts to help others.
Peper column: The ties that bind us together Many of us are sometimes reluctant to discuss how the years are piling up or how our bodies are slowing down. Even if we avoid talking about it, it doesn’t stop it from happening. Is there a secret to aging gracefully? Are there some ways to enjoy, not just tolerate, what’s ahead for all of us as we navigate what’s still to come? I stumbled onto what was labeled a doctor’s wish list for people getting older.
Some of it is common sense stuff, but here are a handful of preferred actions that can enhance and improve our golden years. We’re encouraged to keep moving, challenge our brains, stay social, enjoy sunshine and eat responsibly. Of all those, the one that I often omit is proper food intake.
I still consume far more stuff that’s not of nutritional value. I’m gonna work on that. As for the other recommendations, I feel like I’m on a good track, and here’s why.
Six years ago, as soon as I retired, I immediately started working four days a week at Seabrook Island’s golf courses . It’s a 50-mile round trip, but it’s been a rewarding experience. To be perfectly honest, I selfishly figured it was a way to stay close to a game I still passionately enjoy.
In reality, though, I’ve benefited in so many other ways. Peper Column: A September smorgasbord Sign up for our opinion newsletter Get a weekly recap of South Carolina opinion and analysis from The Post and Courier in your inbox on Monday evenings. Email Sign Up! The unintended results produced mental and physical benefits.
Engaging with members from various parts of the country challenged me to remember names. Lifting buckets of golf balls on the driving range kept me physically stimulated. In many ways, I accidentally discovered activities that are medically recommended for a healthier existence as I’ve moved into my early 70s.
The other medical advice that hasn’t been mentioned is that it’s never too late to start doing some things that might benefit you in these days and months and years ahead. Do whatever you enjoy that keeps you moving. Seek those opportunities for social interaction.
Don’t isolate yourself. Peper column: Dance, it's good for you My wife is active with her book club and is passionately involved with registering people to vote. I enjoy my golf buddies and between us, I get a great deal of satisfaction from the give-and-take received from writing this column.
I never once envisioned this would last for 16 years. Some of you might believe it’s lasted about 14 years too long. President Carter certainly demonstrated he was never too old to contribute once his term in the Oval Office ended.
That figures to be his lasting legacy. For the rest of us, maybe our greatest challenge is not to add years to our lives, but to add life to our years..
