Sometimes nice people do finish first
Thoreson
The official start of the NFL football season is Sept. 10 this year, just an FYI for those who will miss it and those who won’t. The crowning of our “home” team, the Seahawks, as champions has been and will be celebrated.
A couple of takeaways for me after all is said and done are that special teams deserve their due. Kicker Jason Myers scored 15 points via field goals, more points than the entire opposing team tallied in the game and more than half of the Seahawks total. His five field goals set a Super Bowl game record. Jason is definitely my choice for MVP.
The other takeaway came after watching an ESPN interview with Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold. He was asked about a ninth-grade assignment to list five long-term goals. In order, the goals were to attend USC, become a sports broadcaster for ESPN, become a father, to never drink or use drugs in his life and to be remembered as “the nice one.”
At 28, Darnold has yet to become a sports broadcaster or a father, but is a USC alumnus who doesn’t drink or do drugs and definitely has earned a reputation as a nice guy. Playing professional football didn't make his top five list as a high school freshman, but I’m thinking how refreshing it is to see that he’s achieved at the highest level in professional sports. Sometimes nice people do finish first, which is a lesson for us all.
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I don’t consider myself superstitious, but will hedge my bets on Friday the 13th and avoid black cats, ladders, spilling salt, opening an umbrella indoors and breaking a mirror. Hopefully, I will avoid bad luck. Knock on wood.
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My first Valentine was my dad and throughout his life, he never failed to give a card or candy to his daughters. It’s fun to receive candy and flowers and enjoy a nice dinner out, but I’ve come to really value being loved 365 days out of the year. On Valentine's Day 1986, Bert arrived in Idaho from North Dakota to take a giant leap of faith to marry me and my three daughters a month later. He left his family and lifelong friends to make a life and a home here, where I had family and lifelong friends.
That’s love.
For 40 years, Valentine’s Day has held a special meaning for us. Celebrate love, however it appears in your life. Celebrate today and every day if you’re blessed to be loved.
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Happy Main Street birthdays today to Jeff Carlson, Carole Tabakman, Trevor Smith, Eleanora Capaul, David Clark, James Shepperd, Jarryn Siebers, Sharon Link, Gordon Leigh, Chad Salsbury and Heather Frayer. Tomorrow, Kim Edmondson, Elizabeth Glidden, Faith Valente and Laura Wilson take another trip around the sun. Lucky Friday the 13th birthdays to Rachel Fehling, Sam Crawford, Jim Prussack, Sherry Adkins, Ken Martin and Toby Flood. Valentine's Day birthdays for LaDonna Beaumont, Joe Doellefeld, Jason Hayes, Tripp Rogers, Jan McDaniels, Susan DuBois, Sarah Hansen, David Lunceford, Jean Bledsoe, Mike Shepperd, Kaelyn Bingham and Sarah Schell. On Sunday, Joe Doellefeld, Mindy Hatcher, Tracy Dickinson (60!), Jeff Conroy, Linda Jagars, Craig Smith, Art Sullivan, Sandi Hall and Donna Montgomery blow out the birthday candles. Dan Green, Stephanie Smith, Tom Thompson, Diana Farquhar, Adam Averill (50!), Morgan Dickinson (20!), Bruce English, Quinn Kennedy (21!) and Jim Wilson will celebrate on Monday. Feb 17 birthdays belong to Mike Kennedy, Dorene Russell, Dewey Berndt, Helen Pischner, Lisa Ortize, Steve Mills, Chuck Ethridge and Leslie Anne Spencer.
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Kerri Rankin Thoreson is a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and the former publisher of the Post Falls Tribune. Main Street appears every Wednesday in The Press and Kerri can be contacted on Facebook or via email [email protected].