Everywhere I turn these days,
I can’t seem to escape the tirade
of news on the current economic
climate, our state budget woes
... and the list goes on.
Certainly these issues impact
all of us. We should educate
ourselves and vocalize our
opinions to friends and family,
co-workers, communities and
legislators.
But the constant doom-andgloom
atmosphere can wear on
you, and no one seems to have
the answers. So what do we do
about it?
Well, I don’t pretend to know
all the answers, but I do know
there needs to be a balance in
our lives. So, my recommendation
is to take time for yourself
to relax and have fun.
Everyone needs an avenue
to breathe in and exhale, to release
the trials and tribulations
we go through and return to a
sense of normalcy, or at least a
moment of peace.
I had the privilege of attending
the Springbrook Gala 2009
titled, “What Do You Dream?”
on Saturday and found myself
smiling as I watched the honoree,
Connor Gifford, cut a rug
on the dance floor.
He is an extraordinary
individual, and his energy was
contagious. The mood of the
evening was festive and joyful,
and not only did the event
benefit the Kids Unlimited Preschool,
it also offered the guests
an outlet to have fun.
Your pleasure may be to
watch a sitcom or reality show,
listen to your favorite CD, have
a picnic at the park or call a
friend to chat.
Maybe you’ll snuggle up with
a book and participate in the
upcoming Big Read, or take a
long walk. A pedicure, sinful
sundae or a long, hot bubble
bath can do the trick.
The common theme is this:
Take the time to unwind and do
something because you want to
do it, not because you have to.
Life’s stresses will undoubtedly
continue, but how we cope
is essential to our well-being
and sanity.
My life tends to get a little
crazy! My work responsibilities
and commitments, personal
obligations and a 2½-year-old
needing my attention and devotion
don’t leave a whole bunch
of time for Tanya!
My dream is to sleep past 7
a.m., but Hailey, the early bird,
starts chirping at the wee hours
of the morning.
We become so consumed that
we, or at least I, don’t make it a
priority to counteract the doom
and gloom.
My excuses could be endless
as to why I don’t have the time,
but life is too short to miss out
on the little pleasures that we
all deserve.
The time change has added
more daylight and the warmer
weather is starting to roll in. I
think we can start packing up
the winter garb. Growing season
is on the horizon, so the colorful
landscape will return. The
seasonal change always lifts our
spirits _ almost a revitalization,
if you will.
While we certainly can’t
ignore our recent challenges,
we can take back the reins. I
plan to start with building “me
time” into my daily routine, and
I hope you can do the same.
And now, smoking … Yesterday
the price increased, making
my dwindling but still bad habit
sting a little more. Nothing new
to report except that I am glad
at this point I am not at two
packs a day!
I hope the price increase
helps to diminish the number of
cigarettes or folks smoking longterm.
For anyone who has made
the decision to quit, you have
my support and my compassion.
___
Tanya Shalor is publisher
of The Daily Star and may be
reached at (607) 432-1000, ext.
214, or tshalor@thedailystar.com.
Her column appears every other
week.
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From the Publisher's Desk: In times of stress, seek out ‘me’ time
- Big Chuck D'Imperio
- Cary Brunswick
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Some wisdom is best passed down through books
I was visiting a friend out-of-town recently and the subject of providing a "reading list" to young people came up in conversation. He said years ago he had asked a respected acquaintance in Oneonta to compile such a list for his teenage daughter, to help her be better prepared for life, culture, education, politics and people.
Continued ... - Let pragmatism, not politics, determine birth control debate
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- U.S. intervention in Syria's uprising would be a gamble
- Santorum, Obama both got it wrong on Honduras
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- Chuck Pinkey
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If we don’t develop a sustainable system, who will?
In Otsego County’s local elections last fall, a number of candidates — most of them on the independent Sustainable Otsego line — ran on an anti-fracking, pro-sustainability platform. They recognized that our current way of life — dependent on increasingly scarce, costly and polluting fossil fuels — cannot continue.
Continued ... - Time to get off the bus and on the computer
- Cuomo's Machiavellian maneuvers are a danger
- Home rule laws aren't a radical idea
- Sustainable shouldn't be a dirty word
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If we don’t develop a sustainable system, who will?
- Lisa Miller
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Being a parent is a constant learning process
I am sitting cross-legged on the floor in the dressing room, waiting for Allie's dance number to be called. The cave girl costume has been donned, the jazz shoes double-tied, the hair pulled back, the requisite dab of lipstick applied.
Continued ... - Healthy doesn't have to mean expensive
- A family era ends with close of Potter series
- Independent stores make up for loss of Borders
- Untethered from the cable box
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Being a parent is a constant learning process
- Mark Simonson
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Perfect attendance by Saturday’s Bread for 20 years in Oneonta
Oneonta became a settlement and has been a place to do one's "trading," whether it was the 18th century, or 2012, because of the five valleys that converge here. Only the places of doing the "trading" have changed a bit over the last 100 years, and Oneonta remains a place that attracts visitors and has always been a decent place to live and work.
Continued ...
100 Years Ago - Recalling the Hindenburg, John D. Rockefeller in May 1937
- Oneonta residents had diversions aplenty in the spring of 1952
- Damaschke essential to ensuring Oneonta baseball in 1927
- Area tunes to WONT in November 1972
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Perfect attendance by Saturday’s Bread for 20 years in Oneonta
- Rick Brockway
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Climbing is one thing, but skydiving?
OUTDOORS COLUMN BY RICK BROCKWAY ... Last week, my friend George and I returned to the Gunks for another rock-climbing adventure. After last week's column, I asked about the rattlesnakes and was told not to worry. Rattlers are usually quite timid and will avoid people as much as possible. It's the copperheads that'll give you trouble. They're aggressive and will stand their ground to defend it. Oh great!!
- Rattlesnakes may be closer than you think, so pay attention
- Spring is here, so fishing should pick up soon
- Sneaky fox may be the next animal looking to horse around
- Pass down the rush of turkey hunting to your kids this weekend
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Climbing is one thing, but skydiving?
- Sam Pollak
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I'm happy with our kids to a certain degree
It was several years ago, and I was in the kitchen, telling my eldest daughter and my then-teenaged son about the person who was taking over as publisher at The Daily Star.
Continued ... - I get by with a little help from my 'friends'
- It’s not easy for a politics junkie to get off the stuff
- The Encyclopaedia Britannica in print, unmourned by me
- Angelo Dundee was always a good man to have in your corner
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- William Masters
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Time for lawmakers who put needs of society first
Richard Lugar, after six terms as a Republican senator -- known for his middle of the road rationality and his foreign policy finesse -- has been ousted by a Tea Party extremist backed by outside right-wing funding.
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War not worth gambling with lives of soldiers
Are you not tired of our war in Afghanistan? It had a point, once, after 9/11. Bush couldn't distinguish his myopic personal agendas from the nation's needs and let Osama escape, dropping the ball entirely, causing many deaths.
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Titanic was a microcosm of U.S. economic disparity
Haunting reminders of the Titanic tragedy have wafted over us with the centenary of its sinking. The maiden voyage of an impressive, state of the art vessel, was a little like that of the Challenger space shuttle, at the cutting edge of developing technology. But the shuttle carried our pride in science and space exploration, not hundreds and hundreds of people.
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William Masters: Nation stands divided between 'us' and 'them'
In February, Trayvon Martin was shot dead as "suspicious" by a volunteer neighborhood watch man. The case has aroused community reaction in Sanford, Fla., and is still echoing across the country.
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A quarterback can't win the game alone
What is the relationship between democracy and wealth? Democracy is a political system, while wealth relates to economics. We have equal political rights, but we don't all have money. Extreme differences destroy the continuity of community solidarity.
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Time for lawmakers who put needs of society first
