Becoming a Bendsetter

T.J. Huckleberry

Executive Officer Berks County Medical Society

Trendsetter: a person who can spot new trends early on and spreads these fads to new locations and social groups.

Crosby, Stills, and Nash began one of their most popular songs with, “It’s getting to the point where I’m no fun anymore.” Well, this year, as I hobbled into my 40th year of existence, never has a lyric rung so true for me. For a while, I fooled myself into thinking that age was not catching up to me… until this year.

This year, I have caught myself uttering to packs of kids, who have already tuned me out, the same cliches and advice that my old coaches and teachers gave to me. I have endured hearing my 11-year-old son call me “bruh,” like he was some shrunken version of Jeff Spicoli. I have had my wife subtly and not so subtly tell me my wardrobe is a few election cycles out of fashion. And in my men’s basketball league the previous talk about who has the nicest sneakers has been replaced with who has the newest and most sensible knee and ankle braces.

I am putting it in writing. When it comes to what’s new and trendy, I think I am out of touch.

And to be honest, I care about more important trends in my life. So, what, if don’t Instagram on tick tock or that I prefer Abraham Lincoln biographies over the Kardashians. Nowadays, as a parent and a community member, it’s the trends I see that affect all of us that seem to matter the most.

The alarming statistics concerning overdoses in our county, the rise in fentanyl use, and demographic and social inconsistencies in substance abuse; that has my attention. The data itself makes me want to explore the ways we can turn the rising numbers on a line graph and bend them back down to zero. I don’t need to be a trendsetter; I want to bend the negative trends we are facing. … I want to be a bendsetter.

So... let me get a pen to switch this around. Trendsetter Bendsetter: in their community a person who can spot new trends ^ early on and spreads these fads reach out to new locations and work with other social groups to create positive change.

Instead of focusing on the superficial and the popular; if we are acting as bendsetters, our mindset also needs to focus on those who are at times overlooked, taken for granted, or are in the minority. Those who are suffering in silence yet still in desperate need of our resources. That is the focus of this edition of The Response.

The bendsetters highlighted in this edition are concentrating on our local veterans, our LGBTQ+ members, and those in trauma. Rest assured, in future articles we will continue to highlight those who are striving to bend the negative trends in our community and shed light on the individuals and organizations who demand our recognition.

On behalf of The Response, we hope you all find this edition to be totally rad, ehh super chill, maybe just gnarly… or whatever these kids are calling it nowadays.

“Now Open 7 Years ”