One would think that if I am not writing about high school sports that I am out of my element. Actually, it’s quite the opposite. I haven’t been in high school for, this graduating year will make 14 years. Getting into the swing of things as far as high school athletics has been quite a journey, to say the least. But, I am going to take some time this holiday season to talk about things other than sports (mainly).

Much like editor Russ Kent, Christmas snuck up on me a bit, too. I knew that it was coming thanks in part to my son and daughter wanting everything that they had seen in a commercial on Nick Jr., me reading a calender, the quickly disappearing paychecks or the many, many Facebook posts. But, this Christmas will be tough on me and I promise to try and keep it together for my kids, for my family.

Christmas Eve is and has been my favorite day of the year for as long as I can remember. That’s when the family — young and old — gather to eat and be merry. The drinking comes later as my mother’s house is a clean house. The truth that can be found in a child’s smile while opening gifts is as pure a statement as ever was told. A few things have changed with the Christmas Eve tradition with my family, but it has mostly stayed the same since the long gone days of my youth. I still look to find solace in the gathering of a bunch of like people that are just as crazy as myself.

I hope that this holiday season brings everyone everything they are looking for, be it an actually gift or a feeling of complacency. Everyone deserves to smile during the holidays, even if they have to dig deep to find the reason.

So, the mushy stuff is out of the way…who wants a message?

Well, you’re getting one either way!

A young man was struggling and I am not talking like a temporary he’ll-find-a-way-out-of-it struggle. His whole life he has searched for a purpose, a reason to be bigger than his stature allowed. This gentleman always had an inkling that he was destined to do great things. But what? He possessed a passion that was often times hard to harness. So many ideas created a whirlwind of confusion and hope in his congested brain. This man questioned everything within himself and of the world around him. Life was happening and he wasn’t sure what it really all meant. And let’s be honest with ourselves for a minute.. Does anyone really, truly know? This man made a promise to himself, to his children that he would never lose track of the greatness that he, deep down, knew was within him. Don’t ever lose track of your greatness! You are great at something. Find it, embrace it and never give up! It’s about to be a new year, be the you that you may not even know that you could be! It’s okay to proclaim a new year, a new me. Relish in the cliche and live it up people! After all, you are the only you that the world will ever see and the only you there will ever be!

A bit all over the place, huh? Welcome to my world everyone!

Oh yeah, sports. Athletes play some football on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The defending World Champion Cleveland Cavaliers will play the streaking Golden State Warriors.

Eat, drink and be merry! You deserve it! Enjoy family, enjoy friends, enjoy life! Happy (C)hanukkah! Merry Christmas! Happy Kwanzaa! Merry Festivus! Happy non-denominational holiday! Whatever it is that you celebrate … enjoy it!