Editorials / Opinions

When I first settled in the area some 30 years ago it was called Peoples Community Bank. It is a community bank no longer. Its successor, Peoples Security Bank & Trust is ... just another bank. Back when Jack Ord ran it, it was really a community institution. Maria Gunn handled a mortgage for me. Chrissy Shafer was a real personality, among many others. Now ... it's just another bank.

Peoples Community Bank knew its customers. Within the past year, PSBT started charging $2 for a printed monthly statement, encouraging its customers to do everything online. Recently, I needed a cashier's check, for which I was charged a fee of $10, something that didn't happen 6 years ago. When I called about these things, I was told that both could be waived. Yet there is no notice anywhere that waivers are possible. When I suggested that I would take my business elsewhere, I was just told, "Do what you gotta do."

A lot of people in the NEPA area are elderly or otherwise computationally challenged, and to whom $10 for a certified check could be a burden. I can deal with all of these things; a community bank would understand these things. But what about an elderly aunt who doesn't have a computer, and wouldn't know what to do with one if she had? Are the tellers trained to offer waivers? Apparently not, since I was not offered one when I needed a cashier's check.

Recently a municipality was considering renewing a line of credit with PSBT. The bank said it would charge a fee of $800 for the service; the municipal council declined. Two years ago the same municipality was charged $500 for the same service. At that time the municipal council said they just might "think about a different bank."

So now I have taken all of my banking business elsewhere; my new financial institution still sends me a paper statement every month. Maybe the new institution won't be much better than PSBT, but at least so far they aren't any worse.

Sincerely,

Ted Brewster, Endwell, NY

“The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.” ~ Abraham Lincoln

“One day at a time- this is enough. Do not look back and grieve over the past, for it is gone; and do not be troubled about the future, for it has not yet come. Live in the present, and make it so beautiful that it will be worth remembering.” ~ Ida Scott Taylor

You are upset with something that happened yesterday. You’re worried about the future. You feel overwhelmed with how much you have to do. There are problems you don’t know how to handle. You have to make some decisions and you are not sure what to do.

All of these situations have a cumulative effect, resulting in lots of anxiety. So what can you do? Is there a way for you to make life more manageable, especially when things seem to be spiraling out of control?

When you feel overloaded, you are trying to deal with too much at once. Things are much more manageable when you break them down into separate components. When you try to handle everything at once, you often don’t know what to do first and so you can wind up doing nothing at all.

It’s as if you are attempting to lift a large basket filled with bricks. It is just too heavy. You will exhaust yourself trying to move it. Lifting one brick at a time however is easily manageable. Using this approach, you can easily move all the bricks.

So, now let’s remove some bricks from your basket. Begin with the bricks that contain any issues from the past. The past is over. It can not be changed. You can learn from the past but you can’t alter it. The past is a seminar you have taken. Make note of what worked and what didn’t. You don’t want to repeat the same mistakes. You do want to replicate successes.

The next bricks to eliminate are those that involve worries about the future. Worry is a complete waste of time and energy. You will never achieve anything by worrying. To make matters worse, any time spent worrying takes away from the time you have available for dealing with today.

Once you have removed the bricks of the past and the bricks of the future, your load will be substantially lightened. Now you can concentrate on the bricks for today. You can divide the remaining bricks into two categories: those issues you have no control over and those things you can have an impact on. Remove all of the bricks that you have no control over.

Next, are there any problems that you can’t resolve today? If so, take them out of the basket. Are there any decisions that don’t have to be made today? Again, if yes, remove them from your basket. The only bricks left in your basket are those that you can deal with today.

Now your load has been drastically reduced and is much more manageable. You should feel better already. All of your efforts can be focused on those items that require immediate attention today. Only give your attention to those bricks that remain. Your main objective is to get through today.

The way you respond to the remaining bricks is by making decisions and taking action. Worrying about today is just as pointless as worrying about the future. Remember, either take action or let it go.

Get into the habit of dealing with one day at a time. You will be less stressed, a better problem solver, and more productive. Each day is a new beginning with unlimited possibilities.

Sincerely,

Bryan Golden

NOW AVAILABLE: "Dare to Live Without Limits," the book. Visit www.BryanGolden.com or your bookstore. Bryan is a management consultant, motivational speaker, author, and adjunct professor. Email Bryan at bryan@columnist.com or write him c/o this paper. © 2025 Bryan Golden

We are honored to announce the formation of the Nurse Honor Guard of Susquehanna County.

Our mission is simple yet deeply meaningful: to honor nurses with dignity, respect, and gratitude for their lifetime of service and care. Nurses dedicate their lives to healing others with skill, compassion, and sacrifice. At the end of their journey, they deserve recognition for the immeasurable difference they have made in the lives of so many.

The Nurse Honor Guard carries out a solemn tribute at memorial and funeral services, standing as a symbol of respect, gratitude and remembrance. Through ceremonial readings, the presentation of a white rose, and the lighting of the Nightingale lamp, we honor a nurse’s service, ensuring they are never forgotten.

We invite you, our community, to join us in supporting this important mission. Your generosity helps us provide uniforms, candles, roses, and supplies needed to carry out these ceremonies with reverence and grace. Together, we can ensure that every nurse who has cared for us receives the honor they deserve.

You can help by mailing checks payable to: Nurse Honor Guard of Susquehanna County, Peoples Security Bank & Trust, 100 South Blakely Street, Dunmore, PA 18512.

In Person: Donations may also be presented at our events or ceremonies.

Online: Visit us at nhgsusqcounty.com.

Facebook: Follow us at Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania Nurses Honor Guard.

Email: nhgsusqcounty@gmail.com.

Thank you for helping us keep this promise: Nurses Honored, Never Forgotten.

Sincerely,

The Nurse Honor Guard of Susquehanna County

Chapter Founder & Co-Presidents

Andrea Paccio Quezada & Judy Wanatt Behanick