What we need is love, and perseverance

I’ve been blessed to have hosted “Business Matters” on WFMZ-TV for over 15 years. I’ve interviewed presidents, secretaries of state, governors, millionaires, and more.

Biden, Gingrich, Clinton, Trump Jr., Wolf, Andretti, Toomey, Casey … too many to count. How’s that for name dropping?

I’ve done shows in prisons, gymnasiums, hotel rooms, gorgeous arenas, theaters, and even in a locker room. All this with NO journalism degree. Heck, how about NO degree at all!

This is just a crazy example of just how you never know where your professional journey — actually your life’s journey — will take you. I’ve learned the hard way that when it seems it’s hardest to hold on, if you do, something good just may be around the corner. Life has its ups and downs and, sorry to say, you’re gonna experience both.

More and more people tell me “I can’t watch the news anymore” or for that matter, any news-focused shows. Everyone seems to have an angle and everyone seems pretty sure they’re right. Throw in COVID, and we’re just tired of it all. That’s why I’ve decided the country needs a little more love and a little less mean-spirited critical judgment.

So, as a reminder of how wonderfully flawed, yet full of potential, we all are, here’s a few of my life’s ups and downs. I’ll try to do them in a somewhat chronological order:

■ In fourth grade, I was loving every minute of being a St. Catherine’s choir boy for the impeccable, straight from

■ Italy, very cool Father della Picca. Today, although I still love and believe in God, I rarely attend church.

■ In sixth grade, I was in honor school at good old Sheridan Elementary. I was part of a class with the brightest and the best. I ultimately graduated from William Allen High School in the bottom 10th of my class. How’s that for progress?

■ In 10th and 11th grade, I started junior and varsity football for the William Allen Canaries. As a first-string senior, I quit after three 3 games. What? Why? That decision has haunted me for many, many years. Often times, I’d awake from a nightmare that the locker room door was locked or I couldn’t find my helmet. All keeping me from getting into the game. Never quit anything if at all possible.

■ I spent most of my life in a nice home in West Allentown. During my senior year, we were forced to leave our nine-person longtime family home with the crisis of my dad’s business bankruptcy, and crammed into a way too small apartment.

■ In 1980, I received Allentown’s Human Relations Award. I’m now aware I have so much work to do in the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion arena that I’m not even close to any kind of award. You see, today we thankfully have far superior standards in that area.

■ I’ve been athletically thin, then spent years in the obese category. Having lost 50 pounds, I’m now lighter and I’m rejoicing to be in the “overweight” category. Wait ... is that a good thing?

■ I’m president of the country’s sixth-largest chamber, yet could never actually focus enough to finish my associates and/or undergrad degrees.

■ I’ve been on the front page over the years of this wonderful, storied newspaper for many good things. Additionally, I’ve hit the front page on a not-so-wonderful FBI list.

Here’s my point. I love my job. I love my family. I love my community. I love my life. I’ve learned over my 69 years that I’m very human and very flawed. I’m not gonna stop trying to be better. I’m going to humble myself and admit failure and just try harder.

And I’m going to try especially hard not to judge. Because I’m flawed, and who am I to judge? I was sculpted out of great successes and object failures. I’m gonna try my very human best to love all you where you’re at, because we need it now more than ever.

I’m not gonna lie. I especially have a soft spot for you “not so perfect life” types. You, who hit rock bottom or close to it and somehow pulled yourself up. You, who didn’t have a safety net but somehow crawled out of the deep abyss to reach your success.

We’re all so full of potential. Filled with greatness on a scale large and small. Greatness to our family, our work, our community, to our country.

So, don’t give up. Like with this pandemic we’re crawling out from under, bit by bit. Better days are ahead, and we need you. We need your skills, we need your Lehigh Valley work ethic. And hey, if you can throw in a little understanding love, we’ll take it. Heaven knows we need it!