This may come across sounding a little self-serving, but that is not our intention. Honest. It is a genuine Public Service Announcement, a PSA, offered in the interests of improved public health. As a public service. It concerns a letter we received last week from a loyal reader of the Augusta Medical Examiner. It went something like this:
71-year-old Medical Examiner reader (above) writes us to say thanks.
I am a faithful reader of your wonderful little paper. Actually, I’m more than just a reader; I’m a follower: I try to scrupulously follow the healthful advice you offer in every issue. I don’t like extremes, and I appreciate the balanced approach to health you take, and the wide scope of your articles. You cover all kinds of topics that touch on many aspects of being a healthy person. By following your gentle advice I have transformed my life, and I owe it all to the Medical Examiner. When I began reading your paper seven or eight years ago, I was inactive, lethargic, overweight, depressed, sickly, weak, sallow, shallow, negative, self-centered, and often angry. At 64, I didn’t see a very long or bright future for myself. In fact, I would never have dreamed I would still be alive in 2014 to write you this long overdue letter. I’m 71 now, and people say I look younger than ever. I don’t know about that (I’ve enclosed a picture of me from about a month ago so you can judge for yourself) but I FEEL better than ever. Again, thank you for transforming my life, and I’m sure the lives of hundreds – if not thousands – of others.
An Appreciative Reader”
To be perfectly honest, we get fan mail from readers quite often. People love the Medical Examiner, and we’re grateful for every one of our thousands of readers. This letter sort of stood out from the pack, so we thought we’d share it with all of you (with the writer’s permission, of course).