|
TODAY'S
FOCUS
Getting
rid of stress without breaking the bank
By TINA ARNOLDI
Lowcountry Pastoral Counseling Center
Special to CharlestonCurrents.com
JUNE
8, 2009 -- In these tough economic times, people are experiencing
especially high levels of stress. Many people look to a number
of things to resolve their stress, such as spa treatments or seeing
a counselor. Both of these are very valid options for stress
reduction. However, when stress is caused by financial troubles,
paying to relieve stress may only bring more of it!
Arnoldi |
I
want to review some basic tips for handling stress that will cost
very little money or nothing at all. Many of these tips you have
probably heard before, but it’s always good to have a reminder. Some
might validate things you are already doing or give you some new
ways for managing your stress.
The
first is exercise. Yes, I know, I know. When you’re tired
and stressed out, the last thing you might feel like doing is getting
in some exercise. However, your naturally occurring “feel-good”
chemicals, endorphins, are released with regular aerobic exercise. Getting
into better shape will improve your mental health as well as your
physical health.
Keep
it simple and pick something that works for you, not something you
“feel” you should do. If you are not a morning person,
you probably will not stick with a 6 a.m. workout plan for very
long. Be realistic about your time and remember that anything
counts. Push yourself to walk for 10 minutes. Once you get
going, you might find yourself walking farther, or you might decide
that 10 minutes is enough for that day. Feeling especially
tight on time? Park far away when you go to the grocery store. Take
the stairs instead of the elevator. There are a lot of ways
to work in a few minutes of exercise throughout day. When the weather
is halfway decent, I’ll often get my exercise in with a lunchtime
walk through downtown Charleston.
Practicing
good time management skills will help you manage your stress level,
too. Use a timer or alarm clock to set a certain amount of time
for an unpleasant task. Putting off cleaning? Set a timer
for 20 minutes and focus on one area of the house during that time. You
will be surprised how quickly time can go when you are not constantly
checking the clock. Along the same lines, break a large, difficult
task into smaller pieces. Focusing on only part of the larger
task will feel much less overwhelming.
Count
your blessings! Your way of thinking and overall attitude influence
your stress level. Thinking about negative situations in positive
terms can help you minimize stress. This “reframing” does
not change the external reality but simply helps people view things
differently (and less stressfully). Is your glass half full or half
empty? What are you focusing on?
I’ll
leave you with my personal favorite – humor! Go see a
funny movie, or enjoy a short TV program that makes you laugh. (Any
other fans of Steve Carell from “The Office”?) Subscribe
to a joke-a-day e-mail. As for me? Along with tuning into
“The Office” on occasion, I look forward to reading the
daily Dilbert calendar on my desk at work!
If
you are not doing any of the above, don’t stress – just
pick one thing that sounds reasonable to you and try it out!
Tina Arnoldi
works in technology for the Coastal Community Foundation and is
a counselor for Lowcountry Pastoral Counseling Center. In her free
time, she makes jewelry from polymer clay (http://tinajewelry.etsy.com/),
reads two or three books a week, volunteers as a juvenile arbitrator,
serves on the board of Healing Farm Ministries, and tweets (@TinaArnoldi).
CURRENTS
SC leaders need to start thinking big
By
ANDY BRACK, publisher
NOTE:
While Brack wrote this column last March in SC
Statehouse Report, the notion that the state's leaders need
to start thinking big still holds true.
If
South Carolina ever wants to be anything more than a mediocre state
that provides a "minimally adequate" education to her
children, state leaders need to start thinking -- and acting --
big.
Brack |
Consider
all of the political battles, politicians and headlines over the
last 30 years. Then think about what's really changed. The state
still is in the doghouse on education; more people live in poverty
than should and it's not really prepared as a whole to participate
in the global economy.
Sure,
there are bright spots, such as the top-performing Academic Magnet
high school in Charleston or the BMW plant in Spartanburg or the
rich folks south of Broad or on Kiawah Island. But for most South
Carolinians, state leaders are keeping the trains of government
running, but behind schedule.
It's
got to be frustrating for elected officials like Harry Cato, an
18-year veteran House Republican from the Upstate. After noting
that South Carolina continued to be at the bottom of state rankings
in education as when he joined the House, Cato was asked why lawmakers
had a hard time thinking of big solutions that might be outside
the box.
"I
think it's hard for any elected official to think big," Cato
said. "We're accountable to our stockholders -- the voters.
It takes a lot of meetings to explain why you voted for something
big. … Anytime you have any issue that is going to appear against
you on a campaign brochure, it's hard to think big."
In
other words, politicians often don't think for the long term, much
like corporate boards have a hard time looking past the next quarter,
because they're worried about being reelected.
Charleston's
Pug Ravenel is still mentioned by state political insiders as someone
who was known for thinking big. His reformist campaign for governor
in 1974, snatched away by a squabble over residency a few weeks
before an election, is remembered for the zeal it created -- an
enthusiasm that some compare to that which packed 30,000 people
in December in USC's football stadium to hear from [then] Democratic
presidential candidate Barack Obama and Oprah Winfrey.
"Perhaps
there should be a new litmus test when considering state policies
and how they'll impact the future. Instead of worrying about political
fallout, perhaps they should ask, 'Is this policy going to really
make life better for our children?'"
Today
Ravenel, who sells real estate in Charleston, is direct in an answer
about why South Carolina remains challenged to escape the bottom.
"It's
politicians and ideology," he said. "It's is about money.
Just look at the Corridor of Shame and look at the number of high
school dropouts in the state. Look at the poverty. It's unbelievable."
He
added that it didn't help that South Carolinians didn't have a grassroots
movement that would challenge the enablers of the past with a group
of leaders who would try to make things drastically better.
Interestingly,
South Carolina's sister state of Queensland in Australia turned
to vigorous leadership and investment to create real change over
the course of a dozen years, according to Peter Beattie, the former
premier of Queensland who is teaching this term at the University
of South Carolina.
Like
South Carolina, Queensland's taxes were low. Educational attainment
was low. Tourism and the service industry were big business.
So
what did Queensland do to get off the dime and move toward the top
of the pack? It invested big in education, Beattie said. Queenslanders
developed a "smart state" initiative that challenged the
status quo by investing in early childhood education, developing
skills and apprenticeship programs, and creating partnerships to
prepare students for the global economy.
"Mumpower
got it in," Beattie explained, referring to his Labor Party's
appeal to mothers in Queensland. He explained that energized leadership
in Queensland was able to make significant changes (after thinking
big) by asking parents, "Do you want your kids to have a job
for life? This is about your kids and it's a different world from
when you were growing up. They have to have skills that you didn't
need."
Thinking
big is hard. But we can do it and make life even better.
Perhaps
parents should get off the couch and away from the TV and demand
leaders to do more to get South Carolina out of the cellar.
For
lawmakers, perhaps there should be a new litmus test when considering
state policies and how they'll impact the future. Instead of worrying
about political fallout, perhaps they should ask, "Is this
policy going to really make life better for our children?"
If
the answer is yes, they should move forward. If no, they should
figure out a way to turn the answer around. Otherwise, they should
get out of the way.
Andy Brack
is publisher of CharlestonCurrents.com. He can be reached at: publisher@charlestoncurrents.com.
FEEDBACK
Vent:
Send us your thoughts on community issues
Our
policy:
We encourage readers to submit feedback or letters to the editor.
Send your thoughts to editor Ann
Thrash. We reserve the right to edit for length and clarity.
One submission allowed per month.
Make sure to include your name and phone number. Submission of
a comment grants permission to us to reprint. Please keep your
comment to 200 words or less.
SPOTLIGHT
Lowcountry Food Bank
The
public spiritedness of our underwriters and nonprofit partners allows
us to bring CharlestonCurrents.com to you at no cost. This issue's
featured nonprofit partner is the Lowcountry Food Bank, which
was founded in 1983 as a clearinghouse for donated food items. The
Food Bank, which receives more than 10 million pounds of donated
food annually, seeks to feed the poor and hungry of the ten coastal
counties of South Carolina by soliciting and distributing healthy
food and grocery products to nonprofit agencies serving the poor,
and to educate the public about the problems of and solutions to
domestic hunger. For more, visit the Food Bank online at: http://www.lowcountryfoodbank.org/.
- To learn
more about all of our underwriters and nonprofit partners, click
here.
GOOD
NEWS
ETV’s
‘Big Picture’ to feature Mt. Pleasant market
Mount
Pleasant’s popular farmers market will be featured Thursday
night on the S.C. Educational Television program “The Big Picture.”
The show, a weekly program designed to offer a closer look at issues
and topics of special interest to South Carolinians, airs at 7:30
p.m. on SCETV, Comcast Channel 11.
The
episode will focus on farming in the Palmetto State. An episode
synopsis at SCETV’s Web site says, “Recently, with the
explosion of local farmers markets and the homegrown movement, the
S.C. agriculture business has catapulted to the top of our state’s
most profitable industries. ‘The Big Picture’ looks at
this industry and why it’s so important to our state and citizens.”
The
show will be rebroadcast at 7:30 p.m. June 13 and 1 p.m. June 14.
GrowthVenture
classes to support entrepreneurs
FastTracSC,
a program of the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, is offering
an intensive program called GrowthVenture to help entrepreneurs
take a broad look at their businesses and put them on the path to
growth. Classes start June 10 at the chamber office, 2750 Speissegger
Drive, North Charleston, and meet from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. each Wednesday
for 10 weeks.
GrowthVenture
was created by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs, as a hands-on program
that uses participants’ own businesses as case studies, giving
owners a chance to put proven business practices to work for themselves.
Topics include sizing up your business, exploring market opportunities,
making strategic decisions, using financial tools, refining the
product or service, seizing the market, leading the organization,
managing operations for growth, charting financial performance and
how to make “it” happen. By the end of the class,
participants will have developed a three-year strategic business
plan and will have the tools to plan the growth of their company
and help ensure its success.
Guest speakers will include successful local business people who
have a “been there/done that” perspective, as well as
the experience to offer firsthand insight into the obstacles faced
by business owners today.
The
course costs $295 per person; the usual cost is $600 more, but the
reduced rate can be offered because of state funding and donations
by Blue Cross Blue Shield and the SCLaunch! program. To register
or learn more, go to http://www.FastTracSC.org
or call Mary Dickerson at 805-3089.
County
makes hurricane guide available online
Charleston
County officials have posted a hurricane guide online at the county’s
Web site under the “Are You Ready?” banner.
Cathy
Haynes, director of the county’s Emergency Preparedness Division,
said community groups and churches can play a vital role in helping
as many people as possible access the guide. “Churches and
civic groups can … help by printing the small booklet guide
for those who do not have access to the Internet. Our entire community
needs to help spread the word,” she said.
The
guide is available in English and Spanish, and there is also a guide
for people with disabilities and special needs. Information includes
evacuation details and routes out of Charleston County; local shelters;
what to do if you don’t have transportation; definitions and
distinctions between hurricane watches and warnings; rules to know
and items to bring if you want to bring your pet to a shelter; a
list of emergency supplies to have; information you’ll need
for after the storm, including safety advice and how to handle debris;
and important phone numbers.
The
guide will also run throughout hurricane season on Comcast government-access
channel 60.
Art/food/jazz
event to support East Cooper Habitat
The
Tidal Event, an evening of art, food and jazz at The Tides in Mount
Pleasant, will feature food from Charleston Grill, artwork from
Robert Lange Studios and great views of the waterfront, all to benefit
East Cooper Habitat for Humanity. Tickets are $50 each, with 100
percent of the proceeds going directly to Habitat.
The
event takes place from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. June 11 at The Tides,
a condominium complex at 115 Cooper River Drive (at the base of
the Ravenel Bridge in Mount Pleasant). Charleston Grill Executive
Chef Michelle Weaver and Pastry Chef Emily Cookson will prepare
light appetizers and desserts. Artists whose works will be shown
include J.B. Boyd, Robert Lange, Nathan Durfee, Amy Lind, Joshua
Flint, Kerry Brooks and John Duckworth; 20 percent of the proceeds
from art sales will go to East Cooper Habitat.
For
tickets or more information, call 881-2600, ext. 201.
REVIEW
Send
us your recommendations
HAVE
A REVIEW? If you have a review of a book, movie, restaurant
or local arts endeavor, please send no more than 150 words to
editor Ann Thrash.
Make sure to include your name and full contact information.
HISTORY
SPOTLIGHT
Charleston Poorhouse
and Hospital
In
1768 the Commons House of Assembly authorized the construction of
a “Poor House and Hospital” in Charleston to care for
the city’s growing population of paupers. Situated on a four-acre
lot on Mazyck Street near the Ashley River, the three-story brick
structure began admitting the sick and destitute around 1770. The
new facility replaced an older poorhouse built in the 1730s, which
became the city workhouse. Following the incorporation of Charleston
in 1783, the new Poorhouse and Hospital was placed under the control
of the city’s commissioners of the poor.
Envisioned
as an advance in the humane treatment of the sick and uplift of
the deserving poor, the Charleston Poorhouse and Hospital was intended
to serve as an infirmary for the physically and mentally ill and
to provide shelter, food, and reform for the needy. At times the
poorhouse also operated as a lockup for sailors and vagrants from
Charleston’s streets and docks, blurring the already vague
distinctions between the institution’s multifaceted role as
hospital, workhouse, almshouse, and jail.
Despite
its well-intentioned mission, by the middle of the antebellum period
the Charleston Poorhouse and Hospital had devolved into a wretched
dumping ground and haven of last resort for the city’s victims
of poverty, alcoholism, and disease. “Unearthly whoopings and
hallooings” emanated at all hours from cells housing “lunatics,”
while remaining wards, cells, and sickbeds contained a transient
population of drunks, vagrants, widows, orphans, and the diseased
in various stages of recovery or demise. Between 1830 and 1848 some
7,320 men, women, and children (almost all white) resorted to the
care of the Poorhouse and Hospital.
In
1856, dismayed by the dreadful reputation of the Poorhouse and Hospital,
city commissioners moved the poorhouse to an abandoned factory on
Columbus Street, renaming it the Alms House. Medical care for the
sick and insane poor was contracted to the trustees of the newly
built Roper Hospital, whose physicians were granted use of the poorhouse’s
hospital wards. The remainder of the building was renovated to serve
as a house of correction.
-- Excerpted
from the entry by Brenda Thompson Schoolfield. To read
more about this or 2,000 other entries about South Carolina, check
out The
South Carolina Encyclopedia by USC Press. (Information used
by permission.)
SISTER
PUBLICATIONS
We
encourage you to check out our sister publications:
|
SC
Statehouse Report --
a weekly legislative forecast that keeps you a step ahead
of what happens at the Statehouse. It's free.
SC
Clips -- a
daily news compilation of South Carolina news from media sources
across the state. Delivered by email about the time you get
to work every business day. Saves you a lot of money and time.
Sign up for a free
trial subscription today.
|
Georgia
Clips offers a similar daily news compilation for
the scores of newspapers in Georgia's 159 counties.
GwinnettForum
-- an online community commentary for exploring pragmatic
and sensible social, political and economic approaches to
improve life in Gwinnett County, Ga. USA.
|
CREDITS
CharlestonCurrents.com
is provided to you twice a week by:
Address:
P.O. Box. 22261 | Charleston, SC 29413
©
2008-2009, Statehouse
Report LLC. All rights reserved. CharlestonCurrents.com is published
every Monday and Thursday by Statehouse Report LLC, PO Box 22261,
Charleston, SC 29413.
|
 THE
LIST
Environmentally
minded
With schools
getting out for the summer, more and more people are heading to
the beaches, and if Sullivan’s Island or the Isle of Palms
is your beach of choice, you’re probably aware of the ongoing
construction work to replace the venerable Ben Sawyer Bridge connecting
Sullivan’s and Mount Pleasant.
If you’re
concerned about how the work might impact your commute to the beach,
check out www.bensawyerbridge.com
for regular updates. The site has lots of other information, too,
include these five facts about how the construction project was
planned to cause minimal disruption to the environment:
- The bridge
is being rehabilitated on the existing alignment with no new right-of-way
and only a slight shift in the roadway centerline.
- No temporary
or permanent fill is being placed in the critical area wetlands
during construction.
- An access
trestle is being used during construction to minimize construction
impacts to critical areas. This trestle allows daily tidal inundation
in the construction zone.
- Construction
of the new swing span is being completed off-site to reduce the
impacts on wetland areas.
- Marsh areas
impacted by the access trestle will be returned to their original
contours, re-vegetated and monitored after construction.
QUOTE
Talk
vs. action
“You can
discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of
conversation.”
–
Plato (427 BC - 347 BC)
CALENDAR:
THIS WEEK
Moonlight
Mixers: 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. June 12 and June 26,
Folly Beach Fishing Pier. Local DJ Rob Duren will serve up beach
music and oldies for shagging on the pier. Beverages will be available
for purchase on-site, and food and snacks will be available for
purchase at Locklear's Beach City Grill and the Gangplank Gift &
Tackle Shop. Tickets: $8 Charleston County residents, $10 nonresidents,
in advance. Only 600 tickets will be sold; if any are available
at the gate, they'll be $10 for all. More information: 795-4FUN
or online.
Pirates
of Charleston: 10 a.m. to noon June 13, Charleston Museum,
360 Meeting St. Kids will come face to face with pirates as they
search for buried treasure through the Charleston Museum. Family-oriented
event includes presentations and craft projects suitable for all
ages. Free for museum members; for others, free with regular admission
of $10 adults, $5 children, free for those younger than 3. More
info: On
the Web or via email at sthomas@charlestonmuseum.org.
Friends
of Library Sale: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 13 and 2 p.m.
to 4 p.m. June 14, Charleston County Public Library, 68 Calhoun
St. Sponsored by Friends of the Charleston County Public Library
to raise money to support the library system. All categories of
books, DVDs, CDs and Books on Tape/CD will be on sale with prices
starting at 50 cents. On June 14, DVDs, CDs and Books on Tape/CD
will be half-price. Payment must be made by cash or check. Preview
sale for Friends members only will be held from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.
June 13. More info: online
here or by calling 805-6978.
CALENDAR:
ONGOING AND SOON
Park
Circle Film Society Movie: 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. June 13,
Olde North Charleston Picture House, 1080 E. Montague Ave., Park
Circle. The not-for-profit Greater Park Circle Film Society shows
movies every other Saturday at the theatre. June 13's feature is
"Gospel Hill," starring Angela Bassett, Danny Glover,
Adam Baldwin and Julia Stiles. Enjoy free popcorn with the show.
Theater opens 15 minutes before the show and seating is limited
to 50 persons. Tickets (available at the door): $2 members, $5 nonmembers.
More info.
(NEW)
Lowcountry
Seafood Supper: 6:30 p.m. June 16, Culinary Institute
of Charleston’s 181 Palmer Restaurant, 66 Columbus St., Charleston.
The Culinary Institute and the Sustainable Seafood Initiative of
the S.C. Aquarium will present a seafood dinner featuring CIC chefs
as well as guest chefs from several local restaurants. Cost: $65
(inclusive). Reservations (required by June 12): 820-5090.
(NEW)
Meals
on Wheels Benefit Weekend: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. June 19-20
and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 21, Hidden Ponds Nursery, 4863
Highway 17 North, Awendaw. The nursery will donate 10 percent of
its sales to East Cooper Meals on Wheels. Events include daily special
sales items, live music by Awendaw Green, food, a “Name Our
Three Goats” contest and more. More info: 345-0019 or online.
Charleston
Harbor Fest: June 26-28, Maritime Center complex, downtown
Charleston. Free festival featuring tall ships open for touring,
maritime arts and crafts, an "Old Charlestowne" living
history camp, wooden boat displays, free sailing, air shows, live
music, food and, at Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant, a "Harborpalooza."
Schedules/more
info.
Farm
to Plate Picnic: 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. June 28, Thackeray
Farms, 1364 Harts Bluff Road, Wadmalaw Island. Picnic is a fundraiser
for Slow Food Charleston's Organic Garden Project at Sanders-Clyde
Elementary School. Guests should bring their own picnic dinner,
beverages and a blanket. Slow Food will host an "American Pie
Auction" featuring homemade pies that will be sold to the highest
bidder. Farm tours, live bluegrass and a book signing by local author
Holly Herrick are also planned, with a portion of book sales benefitting
Slow Food Charleston. Tickets: $10 for Slow Food members, $20 for
nonmembers. More info: 225-4307 or by
email.
Archaeology
of Charleston's Colonial Fortifications: 6:30 p.m. June 30,
Charleston County Main Library, 68 Calhoun St. Members of the Mayor's
Walled City Task Force will review the findings from the recent
dig on East Bay Street. See images and artifacts and hear about
the latest discoveries of Charleston's early waterfront fortifications.
More info: 805-6930.
(NEW)
Luau
in the Swamp: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 4, Cypress Gardens.
Celebrate July Fourth and the 50th anniversary of Hawaiian statehood
with hula dancing performances, a fire dance show, crafts a pig
roast and island food. Wet jump castle for kids. Register in advance
to enter an ice cream recipe in the Freeze-Off contest. Wear a wild
Hawaiian shirt or other tropical costume to join in the Hawaiian
costume contest. Cost: $10 adult, $5 children (ages 5 and under
free) includes festival activities as well as regular park attractions,
including the Butterfly House, boats and new Swamparium exhibit.
More info/ice cream contest registration: 553-0515.
People
of the Land Exhibit: Through July 15, Charleston County
Main Library, 68 Calhoun St. The work of Lowcountry native and documentary
photographer Vennie Deas Moore will be featured. Moore has devoted
much of her career to exploring the vanishing traditions along the
S.C. coast, and her photographs show the connections between cultures,
the value of work and the symbiotic relationship between the black
and white communities. On June 28 from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Moore
will discuss her photographs and her new book, "Home: Portraits
from the Carolina Coast." More info: 805-6930.
ON
THE BOOKSHELF
In this section,
we offer a list of good reads that you might want to consider reading:
- A
Short History of a Small Place, T.R. Pearson
- The
Book of Marie, Terry Kay
- Charleston
Jazz, Jack McCray
- I'll
Be Sober in the Morning: Great Comebacks, Putdowns, and Ripostes,
Chris Lamb (List)
- Plain
Speaking: An Oral Biography of Harry S. Truman, Merle Miller
- Suggest
a book to us
FOCUS
ARCHIVES
9/3:
Deaton:
Thrive Prize
8/31: Rawl:
Charting courses
8/27: Jurcova-Spencer:
Creatives
8/24: Brooks:
Rural Mission
8/20: Yarian:
New local music CD
8/17: Fisher:
Uses of social media
8/13: Hall:
Time for renovations
8/10: Morris:
Dog days at Drayton
8/6: Lindbergh:
Gifted school
8/3: Jackson:
Insurance tips
7/30: VanBogart:
Singles
7/27: Stewart:
Get it clean
7/23: Rosenberg:
Elect women
7/20: Nathan:
Turtle release
7/16: Johnson:
Online school
7/13: Thiers:
Protect skin
7/9: Lee:
Scoring supplies
7/2: Shockley:
Company wellness
THRASH
ARCHIVES
9/3:
Cold
comfort, more
8/27: Being
a fan
8/20: Good,
bad, spineless
8/13: Locals
on Runway
8/6: Cookie
contest
7/30: Vote
on car tags
7/23: True
confessions
7/16: New
way of tithing?
7/9: Lookout
for manatees
BRACK
ARCHIVES
8/31:
This
and that
8/24: SC's
treasures
8/17: RIP
to old clunker
8/10: Lots
to squeeze in
8/3: On
flying Delta
7/27: Conspiracy
theories
7/20: Protect
carriage animals
7/13: Economic
thaw here?
LIST
ARCHIVES
9/3:
Free
legal clinics
8/31: CofC
Class of 2013
8/27: Citadel
Class of 2013
8/24: 7
stores, 7 days
8/20: You
know you're from...
8/17: On
the school menu
8/13: Wines
for grilling
8/10: First
Day Fest facts
8/6: Sales
tax holiday
8/3: Twittering
tips
7/30: Fall
planting
7/27: 5
for teens
7/23: Consignments
7/20: Beach
reads
7/16: Save
the books
7/13: Hot
plants
7/9: Staying
cool
7/2: Old
Exchange 5
|
