So — clearly — I am not Jimmy. Jimmy has been incredibly busy organizing football broadcasts, filming Touchdowns & Tailgates and making sure our advertisers are well taken care of. So, he asked me if I could fill in for the week. All he asked was that I keep things positive. I’m pretty good at that, so let’s get started.

Speaking of football and Touchdowns & Tailgates, I can’t believe it is already September! Where in the world did the summer go? It seems like I blinked and then missed it!

As always, Webb Weekly Live has the best of D4 football for you again this week. We will be bringing you the Williamsport vs. Altoona game and the Lewisburg vs. Montoursville game also! Jimmy and Little Jimmy (Jim & Jimmy? — I’m not sure, he’ll always be Little Jimmy to me!) will be headed to Williamsport and Montoursville for this week’s episode of Touchdowns & Tailgates. Be sure to check them out Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. on our Facebook page! Then be sure to tune in for Friday Night Lights. Pre-game is at 6:50, kick-off at 7:00 p.m.

As the kids head back to school, this is your friendly reminder to send them back with kindness. It’s been a helluva last 18 months, and I think we could all do with a little more grace and kindness in our lives.

Let’s be honest; we live in a society where it is effortless to forget that you are not, in fact, the center of the Universe. Selfies, Blogs, Social Media sites all lead us to focus on ourselves constantly. And truth be told, this issue has only been exacerbated in the last year.

The anonymity of the internet, in general, makes it easy to forget that there are real people out there with real feelings, fighting real battles and struggling daily. There is no need to add to that by being callous and mean to those you somehow feel are lesser than you.

You never really know for sure the impact your words and actions can have on people. You never know when that nerve you choose to poke may be the nerve that breaks someone down.

You also never know when your nice actions that support someone and raise him or her up, may be the action that saves their life.

According to the CDC, more than 1 in 3 high school students had experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness in 2019, a 40 percent increase since 2009.

In 2019, approximately 1 in 6 youth reported making a suicide plan in the past year, a 44% increase since 2009.

How many of these kids just needed someone to talk to? To hear them? To be nice to them?

Now listen, I’m not so naïve as to think everyone will get along with everyone all the time. Nor am I deluded enough to believe that being nice to everyone all the time is feasible.

What I am deluded enough to think is that it is possible to try.

It is possible to shut up and think about what you will say before you say it — or, quite frankly, just shut up.

It is possible to remember that the old adage “sticks and stone may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” is not only a lie but a ridiculous one that allows people to ignore the fact that their words can have a massive impact on someone. That words not only hurt but can destroy.

It is possible to understand that it is ok not to like someone — it’s not ok to use that dislike as an excuse to be nasty.

It’s possible to remember that your kids learn from you. If you go out of your way to be nicer to people, they will too. Remember, “If a child lives with criticism, they learn to condemn.” However, “If a child lives with acceptance and friendship, they learn to find love in the world.”

So as your kids head out to school this year, please remind them that their words and actions impact those around them whether they realize it or not, and no one ever suffered because they were nice to someone, and no one was ever injured because someone was nice to them.

“Be kind to people and don’t judge, for you do not know what demons they carry and what battles they are fighting.”

9/11 Heroes Challenge:

Just a reminder that we are still taking registrations for the 9/11 Heroes Challenge. You can find all the detail on page 15. Please come out and support this amazing event to honor all those that lost their lives on September 11th. Or if you are interested in donating, or helping with t-shirts, please drop me an email and let me know!