This is it. … we are in the homestretch for America’s 250th birthday and municipalities and businesses all over have plans to celebrate.
Of course, the biggest organization in charge of the semiquincentennial is America250PA led by Exeter native and former mayor, American250PA Executive Director Cassandra Coleman.
She’s been spreading the word over the last eight years on the nation’s 250th. I’m sure she can’t even tell you how many times she’s circumnavigated the Commonwealth in her eight years at the executive director.
If she didn’t know there are 67 counties in Pennsylvania, she certainly does now, and I bet she can name city and county officials by name in all 67.
Last week was the America250PA concert, the fourth out of five in the Commonwealth. This one was held at Kirby Park. The others were Pittsburgh, State College, Erie, and Hershey.
Country superstar group Lady A was the headliner at Kirby Park and longstanding R&B recording band En Vogue was the opening act.
Our own locally known Eddie Day & TNT got the show going with a 30 to 45 minute set. Eddie was in his glory.
The former Nanticoke Area educator turned politician as a state representative had been in the music industry forever. He played at my high school junior prom about 100 years ago. He returned back at Wyoming Area to perform for my homecoming dance.
TV personality Carson Kressley, an Allentown name and resident, was the MC speaking between acts. Carson was pretty entertaining mentioning him watching WNEP-TV’s Hatchy Malatchy with Miss Judy when he was younger. I think that’s hysterical. Now if he mentioned Bowling for Dollars, that would have blown my mind completely.
The only thing that put a damper on the evening was a rain cell that came through prior to the doors opening.
The rain definitely kept people from attending, and that was a pity. All told, less than 5,000 attended the free concert. As a friend said, if attendees had to pay for the show, rain or not, they would have showed up.
Now we have this week to look forward to Fourth of July ceremonies all over Greater Pittston and Wyoming Valley.
It’s now time for the gripe of the week.
I think I’m getting tech neck. Well, before I found out it was called tech neck; I called it, phone neck.
What is tech neck? Most people, when they look at their cellphones, the typical position is sitting in a chair holding the phone on their lap or stomach level, thus creating a position of your head always looking down at the phone. That’s tech neck.
After looking through my phone for a while one afternoon, I noticed the back of my neck was killing me and it hit me like a ton of rocks, I spent way too much time looking down at my phone to create the soreness.
I thought, if I keep doing this, over a long period of time, who knows, maybe I’ll change my posture permanently. I certainly don’t want to do that so I’m trying very hard not to 1) stay on my phone very long and 2) stop looking at the phone with it in my lap.
The other problem I have with my cellphone is, the first thing I do in the morning, while still lying in bed, is look at my email and messages. That is very, very bad for me. I usually do it without putting on my glasses and when I’m done and put on my glasses, everything is blurry.
Sometimes it takes hours before I can focus again. You would think I would know better to not do such a dumb thing, but I guess I’m so programed to do so, it’s just became a bad habit.
I’ve relied on my phone for more than just social media or to see what’s on sale on Amazon, I used my phone for work essentially becoming an extension of my work computer on my desk.
I get a ton of email that is work related. I receive text messages for work as well. I’m always checking the weather for conditions or the radar for rain or snow.
Sometimes, if I know something is happening, I’ll go to social media to see what’s up.
If I’m on a job and I need to get info on a company or a person, I whip out the phone to do my research. It’s become such a tool; I don’t think I can do without it.
For me, it’s a necessary evil. I wish on some days, I can go back to my old flip phone and not worry about doing text messages or returning email. I remember those days when we were able to text on a flip phone and it was excruciating to do so. I remember watching my daughter texting and she was flying on the keyboard making it look so easy. Not me; not with these sausages I have for fingers.
One day, some day, it will be great not to rely on my phone for work or even social media and maybe I’ll just go back to the flip phone. There was nothing cooler than answering a flip phone. It made me feel important and cool, yeah I know, it’s goofy.
I digress, enjoy your Independence Day, be safe, and God Bless America.
Quote of the week
“America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.” —Harry S. Truman
Thought of the week
“America is hope. It is compassion. It is excellence. It is valor.” —Paul Tsongas
Bumper sticker
“America is another name for opportunity.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson
