12—Cleveland Daily Banner—Tuesday, January 5, 2016
www.clevelandbanner.com
Evaluating our mindsets to start a blessed new year
It has now been five days since we
started this new year, known as 2016.
Many may have never thought they
would have lived to see this day and
some may just be beginning their path
along this journey called life. Either
way, we are all given 24 hours in each
and every day that we are gifted with
life here on earth.
And while many understand that our
days are limited by our Creator, we are
also given the ability to choose how we
spend our time. This is best illustrated
to me by the example of the interpretation of water in a glass that is poured to
the exact middle of the height of the
glass. When you look at this illustration, do you see it as being half empty
or half full?
OUR
COUNTY
Bradley County
Mayor
D. Gary Davis
Those who see it as half empty see a
limited approach and some would call
this a “realist.” They would try and limit
the use of resources and preserve what
is available by exclaiming they are just
looking out for the “masses.” These may
also favor population control to expand
the useful time of known resources.
Those who see it as half full see an
abundance of opportunities and some
would call this an optimist. They would
see an unlimited supply of resources
that is supplemented by innovation and
exploration. They are not in favor of
population control as they believe that
the next Einstein or Billy Graham could
have been in the group that could have
been excluded.
Thankfully, Bradley County has been
blessed with an abundance of those
who see life as more “half full,” for generations.
This grand history has led to this
point in our community in which we are
truly the recipients of their hard work,
planning, foresight and determination.
But with any group of people who have
been given a great treasure comes con-
siderable responsibility, as well as risk.
The responsibility is to preserve,
increase and protect the said gift. The
risk is in thinking that we somehow
deserve or created the gift of our own
accord or works, and therefore lose
sight of how fragile this gift truly is.
As we enjoy the gift of a new year and
the responsibility that comes along with
that gift, may we all pause occasionally
and stop to evaluate our options for
each day.
Do we take more than we give or do
we give to those who may be without?
Are we only concerned with ourselves,
or do we think about what our actions
and decisions may cause others to
experience? Do we spend every waking
moment thinking only of profit and
business or do we think only of recreation, both of which may leave family
and friends without any interaction
from us?
If these, or other possible combinations, describe a personality that you
would like to change, there is no day
like today.
May this new year be the one in
which we have resolute resolutions to
improve not only ourselves, but also our
family and community relationships. We
have so much to be eternally grateful
and thankful for, now and into the
future, as Bradley County truly is
Tennessee at its best!
From my family to yours, may each
and everyone have a happy, safe,
healthy and prosperous new year!
ANNIE’S
MAILBOX
Viewpoint
Staying positive in the face
of devastating challenges
I
arrived in the world 52 years
ago already saddled with a
rare neurological disease,
though neither I nor my parents knew.
I was well into adulthood
before it was confirmed that I
suffered from Late-Onset TaySachs (LOTS), a genetic disorder that leads to damaged cells
and a steady deterioration of
muscle control. I was one of
250 in the world when diagnosed with LOTS, and it
explained lots of medical challenges that I encountered in
my life.
Usually, symptoms start with
clumsiness and weakened leg
muscles. Over time, there is
more loss of mobility, which
can lead to the need for a cane
or wheelchair. Speaking and
swallowing difficulties also can
emerge. There are also psychiatric consequences in 50 percent of the patients with LOTS.
Basically, my medical challenge has brought imbalance
and chaos to every aspect of
my life. My challenge has been
to bring balance back into my
life.
Like many who suffer from
Tay-Sachs, I concentrate on
strategies for managing life
with the disease because a
cure does not exist, though
research is ongoing.
Tay-Sachs is caused by a
missing enzyme, hexosamindase A. Three forms of the disease exist, according to the
National Tay-Sachs and Allied
Diseases Association. They
are classic infantile, a fatal version where babies show symptoms at about six months; juvenile, which most often appears
between ages 2 and 5; and
late-onset, the version I have,
where the symptoms usually
appear in late adolescence or
early adulthood, though can
appear later.
French
Canadians,
Louisiana Cajuns and people
of East European Jewish
descent are considered high
risk. I am Jewish.
I have been able to do battle
with this medical condition with
the help of my family, friends
and faith. I’m also a little bit
stubborn and that doesn’t hurt.
When someone tells me I
can’t do something, I want to
do it.
I’m hoping that by sharing
this experience, I can inspire
others who face difficulties.
Everyone in life has at least
one challenge to address. It
might have to do with health,
finances, family or something
else. But I think there are some
common approaches that
apply for overcoming adversity
of any type.
Please consider these suggestions:
1. Take control. This is no
time to accept defeat. I believe
in taking active control of your
life rather than approaching
challenges in a passive fashion. Don’t just sit back and let
things happen to you. Yes, the
challenge you face may be
extremely difficult , but you
need to be a catalyst in your
own life, making the bad situation better.
2. Maintain a good mental
attitude. Perhaps nothing is
more important in dealing with
challenges than mental attitude. To nourish a positive attitude, I often push myself to
attempt things outside my comfort zone, such as when I
learned to rock climb in
Thailand. I realize not everyone will do something that
extreme. But the key point to
remember is that it’s not about
the activity, it’s about your attitude. Anything you can do that
helps you keep a positive attitude is the right activity.
3. Embrace friends and family. Having a support network
makes all the difference,
because everyone needs others to lean on in times of trouble. Without a doubt, the most
powerful and important relationship I have is with my wife,
Carmen. She is my best friend
and most trusted confidant.
But friends can come in all
sizes, races, genders and
backgrounds, and mine certainly do. The great thing we do
is listen to each other, which is
the way you have a meaningful
conversation.
Listening isn’t the same thing
as agreement. We sometimes
disagree, but we maintain our
respect.
To me, the most successful
person is not the one with the
most money or the most prestigious career. The most successful person is the one who
can deal with adversity effectively.
———
(About the writer: Cary M. Berman was born with a rare disease and tells his story in book format. He received a law degree
from the John Marshall Law School in 1988. He worked as an
assistant public defender in Cook County, Ill., for 27 years, and
won an appeal in a murder case with his first assignment. On the
personal side, he is married, earned a black belt in taekwondo at
an early age and learned to rock climb in Thailand, taught by a
cousin who is one of the top climbers in the world. Opinions in
guest “Viewpoints” do not necessarily reflect the views of the
Cleveland Daily Banner.)
(EDITOR’S NOTE: The Banner welcomes letters to the editor. The
guidelines call for letters to be in good taste and no more than 300
words. Some minor editing, not affecting the meaning, may be
required. All letters must include the author’s signature, address
and a telephone number for confirmation. Since letters must have
a signature, they cannot be emailed. Letters reflect the opinion of
the writer. Letters may be sent to Letters to the Editor, Cleveland
Daily Banner, P.O. Box 3600, Cleveland, TN 37320-3600.)
How an end to the telephone
discounts will help customers
NEW YORK (AP) — AT&T will
no longer offer discounted
phones with two-year contracts
starting Jan. 8. Before you rush
out to beat the deadline, consider that you might be better off
paying full price for the phone.
That’s because phone companies also reduce the monthly bill
for voice, text and data services
when you buy your own phone
or bring a used one. Some may
pay a bit more, some a bit less,
but the overall bill is roughly the
same. What you get in return is
more flexibility in which phone
you buy and how long you stay
with the carrier.
AT&T’s decision comes as no
surprise. In the third quarter,
only 1 in 5 customers chose a
contract plan when they signed
up with AT&T or upgraded their
phones. T-Mobile broke away
from contracts completely nearly
three years ago, and Verizon
stopped offering contracts to new
customers in August. Sprint also
has been weighing dropping contracts completely.
Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure
told The Associated Press in
September that discounted, contract phones — including his
company’s — amount to “a gimmick, a trick. You tell people I’m
going to give you a free phone,
but really the customer pays in a
more expensive service plan.”
Indeed, phone discounts mask
the true costs of phones and
phone services.
Here’s an explanation of the
changes:
What are my options now?
Most people now buy and pay
for phones in monthly installments, though you can also pay
the full price upfront. You can
also bring a used device, such as
one from a friend or family mem-
ber who has upgraded to a newer
model. Sprint and T-Mobile also
have leasing options — you pay
less each month, but you don’t
get to keep or resell the device in
the end.
Will I pay more?
Not necessarily so, even
though you now have to pay the
full price for a phone.
When you got a discounted
phone under contract, you were
already paying the balance in the
form of fees. For instance, the
full cost of an iPhone 6s is $650.
Although you pay just $200 at
the contract rate, the phone
company passes along the
remaining $450 in higher
monthly fees for voice, text and
data. Over two years, the $450
comes to $18.75 a month. Put
another way, your phone company is subsidizing your phone by
$18.75 a month and tacking that
on to the phone bill for voice, text
and data.
If you forgo the contract, your
monthly bill for voice, text and
data is typically reduced by $15
or $25 a month. The $25 discount applies for higher data
plans — usually ones you share
with family members. In such
cases, you’re actually better off
buying the phone yourself, as
you’re getting a $25 bill reduction but giving up only $18.75 in
subsidies.
If your discount is only $15,
and you’re giving up $18.75 in
subsidies, then technically your
bill is going up slightly. What
you get instead is flexibility.
What do you mean by flexibility?
Because phone companies
were subsidizing phones, there
was an incentive to get the most
expensive model, even if you didn’t need that. These days, there
TODAY IN HISTORY
are many mid-range Android
phones that do what high-end
phones did just a few years ago.
If you choose one of those models, you keep the savings. That’s
also the case if you get a friend
or relative’s old phone. You no
longer feel that you’re losing out
by not claiming the most expensive phone in a contract renewal.
And if your phone lasts longer
than two years, there’s no longer
the pressure to upgrade just to
claim the phone subsidies. You
simply pocket the savings.
More important, you’re no
longer tied to two-year contracts.
Does this mean I can switch
whenever I like?
Ye s and no.
If you buy a phone under an
installment plan, you’re still
stuck with the phone company
until you pay off the phone. That
said, rival companies often have
promotions to pay off the balance for you. And if you pay the
full cost of the phone upfront,
you own the phone and can
switch whenever you like. Just
be aware that certain phones
work on limited number of networks, so it’s still not total freedom.
What if rate increase once I
pay full price for a phone?
Phone rates can go up at any
time, but that historically hasn’t
happened because of stiff competition. In fact, phone companies have been offering more
data for the same prices, an
effective price cut.
And if your phone company
does increase the rates, just go
to another. Again, rivals typically
offer promotions to switch. You
can always take your phone
number with you as long as you
sign up with the new company
before cancelling.
Dear Annie: I was raised in a
devout Catholic family. When my
husband and I married 30 years
ago, we independently decided to
leave the religious fold, but we
never imposed our views on others. My eight siblings live within
close proximity of each other, and
I live 3,000 miles away.
Over the years, most of my family has never missed an opportunity to impose their religious
views on me. Even though I have
made it clear that I am not interested, I am often subjected to
family members sending me religious material, making offhand
cynical remarks about my soul, or
cornering me at gatherings to
coax me back, share their anger
or try to make me feel guilty.
A few years ago, when my sister
“Louise” and I had a disagreement, I was brutally chastised,
told by her and others that it was
my fault because I did not read
the Bible. What is even more
insulting is that most of my siblings have had major life problems
(affairs, money issues, fraud,
child abuse), but my husband
and I have had none of that. We
have welcomed my family into our
home on many occasions, treating
them to fantastic stays in our city,
which is a vacation destination.
Recently, Louise sent me a misleading email, asking what
seemed to be an innocuous question, but which was intended to
get me to research material that
would create an “aha” moment to
get me back into the fold.
I have had it with this passiveaggressive behavior. We are going
to their town soon, and I know I
will encounter Louise. I want to
tell her to stop this nonsense, but
she will play the martyr and use it
against me. What do I do? —
Number Eight
Dear Eight: You are not going
to convince your family, especially
Louise, to stop trying to “save”
you. So we recommend you stop
being drawn in. It’s annoying to
be sure, but not worth your time.
When they email you material
that you find offensive, send it to
the trash folder. Ignore the
remarks. When they try to make
you feel guilty, respond politely,
“Thanks for your concern,” and
walk away. You may need to limit
contact with family members who
are especially difficult, but please
try not to be so angry. It serves no
purpose and only makes them
redouble their efforts.
———
(About the writers: Annie’s
Mailbox is written by Kathy
Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers
column. Please email your questions or comments to [email protected], or write to:
Annie’s Mailbox, c/o Creators
Syndicate, 737 3rd St., Hermosa
Beach CA 90254. You can also
find Annie on Facebook at
Facebook.com/AskAnnies.)
Cleveland Daily Banner
– Established in 1854 –
Today is Tuesday, Jan. 5, the
fifth day of 2016. There are 361
days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
On Jan. 5, 1066, Edward the
Confessor, King of England since
1042, died after a reign of nearly
24 years.
On this date:
In 1781, a British naval expedition led by Benedict Arnold
burned Richmond, Virginia.
In 1895, French Capt. Alfred
Dreyfus, convicted of treason,
was publicly stripped of his
rank. (He was ultimately vindicated.)
In 1905, the National
Association
of
Audubon
Societies for the Protection of
Wild Birds and Animals was
incorporated in New York State.
In 1914, auto industrialist
Henry Ford announced he was
going to pay workers $5 for an 8hour day, as opposed to $2.34
for a 9-hour day. (Employees
still worked six days a week; the
5-day work week was instituted
in 1926.)
In 1925, Democrat Nellie
Tayloe Ross of Wyoming took
office as America’s first female
governor, succeeding her late
husband, William, following a
special election.
In 1933, the 30th president of
the United States, Calvin
Coolidge, died in Northampton,
Massachusetts, at age 60.
Construction began on the
Golden Gate Bridge. (Work was
completed four years later.)
In 1949, in his State of the
Union address, President Harry
S Truman labeled his administration the Fair Deal.
In 1953, the Samuel Beckett
play “Waiting for Godot” premiered in Paris.
In 1964, during a visit to the
Holy Land, Pope Paul VI met
with Patriarch Athenagoras I of
Constantinople in Jerusalem.
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER
Stephen L. Crass
GENERAL MANAGER
Jim Bryant
CIRCULATION DIRECTOR
Herb Lacy
OFFICE MANAGER
Joyce Taylor
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Rick Norton
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Gwen Swiger
LIFESTYLES EDITOR
William Wright
SPORTS EDITOR
Richard Roberts
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
Jack Bennett
RETAIL SALES MANAGER
Sheena Meyer
PRESS SUPERVISOR
Richard Yarber
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