Another year has nearly passed us by. So it is normal for us to look back on the past year with fondness and wistfulness, and to look ahead to new and exciting adventures coming to us in a new decade. This New Year is particularly meaningful to me because I will turn 50 years young in just a few short weeks, so I will share with you some of the the things I have learned in a half century on this planet.

First of all, I am grateful. Grateful to everyone in Lincoln and the entire state of Nebraska, as well as the good folks of Iowa, Kansas and South Dakota for having me come into your lives to serve you and help you raise money for your causes. It is because of you all that I have been able to expand my offerings and my business so quickly.

Second, I am proud of who we are as a country and as a people. If there is one thing that the recent divisiveness in this country has shown me, it’s that we are a lot more the same than we are different. Sometimes divisions make our families stronger and I see it every day. Since Mr. Rogers is getting so much attention lately, I will use one of his quotes: “When bad things happen, look for the helpers.” You see them every day. Just keep an eye out and help each other whenever possible.

Finally, here are some words of wisdom that I (and others) have come up with. I wish I could go back in time and tell my younger self some of these things, but we all must learn at our own pace.

• ‘Tis better to keep your mouth shut and allow people to think you an idiot than to open it and remove all doubt – Mark Twain
• Pepperoni Totino’s pizza rolls are the only good ones – don’t even waste your time with other flavors/brands
• When you are dissatisfied and wish to go back to your youth, think of algebra. – Will Rogers
• At my age, I won’t even buy green bananas! – Larry Miller
• When I was a boy, the Dead Sea was only sick – George Burns
• I don’t want to achieve immortality through my work. I wan to achieve it through not dying – Woody Allen
• Waffleman waffles are the best around! I couldn’t do any of this without my assistant Cameron, and the guidance of Doug M.

Happy 2020!