I have always wondered whether we found Concord or Concord found us. In the fall of 1981,
during my last year of training at the University of Vermont in Burlington, my wife, Pam, and I with our three sons (7, 4 and 1 years old) visited Concord to look at the practice of Concord Hospital OB-GYN. My older partner, Doug Black, remarked as he turned his eyes upon my family, “It is nice to know how badly you need a job!” He was right, but I did not move my family to Concord because of my starting salary.
We liked the neighborhoods. Pam was pleased by what she heard about the schools. I was impressed with how well trained the physicians were at Concord Hospital and how much they liked practicing here. My oldest son was surprised there was colored TV at the motel where we spent the night. All he knew was Mr. Rogers on black and white.
I was born and raised in Oregon, before I came to Hanover for work and then medical school. We were looking at places in the Northwest and New England to settle. Small cities in the Northwest were suburbs of large cities. Small towns seemed isolated, and without the quality of schools and medical care we found in Concord.
Forty-five years later, we have never moved, not even from the home we could hardly afford in 1982. It happens to be walking distance through the woods to the hospital. I made it home for some meals even when I was on call. When I was busy, my sons would come to the hospital for a meal with me. It was years later, they admitted to liking the hospital cafeteria maybe even a little more than seeing me.
From the neighborhood our boys walked to their grade school, middle school and high school. They were fortunate to have bright, dedicated teachers who provided them with good educations. Remarkably, we got to know their principals, coaches and music instructors.
Classmates and other friends frequented our home. Their parents became our friends. By practicing obstetrics in our small town, I was able to coach youth basketball and little leaugue baseball. One of my new players asked me once if I was a doctor before I became his coach. He said his mom told him I was there when he and his brothers came out. Later, I never missed a high school Friday night football game during the 12 years my sons played.
Concord is a community of connections. When Pam shows family and friends “downtown,” they are surprised by so many greetings and conversations. She has learned not to go with me to the grocery store. We can’t get through the first isle without seeing photos or meeting children whose births I have attended.
Main Street Concord is beautiful featuring a variety of stores, restaurants, office buildings, Red River Theatre and the Capital Center for the Arts as well as the state capitol. Little did I know, I would have the opportunity to walk a few blocks from my office to testify before the legislature supporting or opposing bills that would affect my patients’ care.
I love old shoes. I can’t count the times I have replaced the soles on my favorite shoes at United Shoe Repair. We have friends from out of town who bring their shoes to be repaired when they visit us. And, who could find a better local book store in a small city than Gibson’s with special readings, and now an annual Book Festival.
The Saturday Farmers Market is festive and filled with community spirit as well as fresh local produce. We have enjoyed the many Concord hiking trails with our children, grandchildren and dogs as well as our nearby lakes, rivers and mountains.
The intimacy of practicing with a hospital staff of only 60 physicians when we came to Concord is gone, but the high quality of medical care at our hospital remains. I missed seeing my colleagues on morning rounds the last few years of practice, but our medical community has maintained a cutting edge standard of care continuing to attract well trained medical personnel — and, not just physicians, but nurses and those providing important medical support services.
We have much to be grateful for living in Concord. My family and I were surely fortunate to “need a job so badly” as we have lived a full life here.
Oge Young is a retired OB-GYN. He practiced in Concord for more than 30 years, was the president of New Hampshire Medical Society and was a member of the general council representing New Hampshire obstetricians.