New Year, New Moments (Not Sports Related)

Patty V • December 31, 2022

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Forgive me in advance, there are no sports discussed in this article.


What is it that brings you happiness?


As we head into a New Year, we all (hopefully) have hopes and dreams, goals that we would love to accomplish. Most people take the change in a calendar year to plan for their future. They look towards how they can better themselves.


For me, I take the change in the year as an opportunity to reflect. The last few years have been extremely challenging for many folks. Politics, health, crime, heck, even sports misery can factor in to why folks look to plan for a better tomorrow. If you're anything like me though, you live in the moment. You feel in the moment. After the moment has passed, you quickly move on to the next thing. I am constantly trying to better myself, so resolutions for me are non existent.


As I reflect, it allows me the opportunity to look at how I've grown through the year, and how I can better focus heading into the next chapter of life. Im aging. We all are. How do I continue to grow whilst managing day to day life?


There's a book that I'm very fond of. It's called "Power of Moments" by Chip and Dan Heath. Essentially this book discusses how small moments in life carry an immense amount of power. It's why when we take vacations we remember the highs and forget the lows. One defining moment is both memorable and meaningful.


In 2022 I faced many things. For me, 2022 represented more change than I have seen in recent history. I experienced every spectrum of emotion, and somehow have had to manage those emotions, channeling them into a better life for my loved ones. I got married, we moved into a new house, created many great new memories as a family, grew closer with friends, changed jobs, learned crafts, built things, and joined on as a writer/podcaster with The Kneaux. I also lost though. I lost one of my dearest loved ones. He was special, and left one of the largest impacts on my life that anyone has.


In dealing with this loss, it has made me wonder how I can overcome the hurt. How do you overcome the pain of loss? For me, I am an eternal optimist. With this, I go back to that book I discussed, "Power of Moments". This book states that there are five things you can do to find great good in great suffering. They are: Look for small peaks, celebrate and honor relationships, acknowledge your strength, identify new possibilities, and look for spiritual insight.


Now you may be wondering, "Patty, why are you sharing this junk, what does this have to do with resolutions or 2023?" My answer to you, is that I suggest as you look towards 2023, and you look for resolutions or changes, incorporate those 5 recommendations into your daily life. Everyone wants to lose weight, or stop drinking, and those things certainly matter. However, I implore everyone to make their 2023 memorable, make it matter, that way when you look back at the end of next year you're not wondering why you couldn't stick to your resolution, but you look back fondly of all of the memories made.


Expanding on this more, a little more sideways, go create moments. Go live, respectfully, full of love. Create happiness in the dark. Be the beacon of light for others who need it. I am so thankful for the memories I've made this past year.


May your 2023 be blessed with happiness, wealth, and health.


All the love in the world,



Patty


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Southern Miss vs Tulane football poster with wave mascot and eagle logos, Sept. 26, 6 PM CT on ESPN+
By Patrick Harkness September 24, 2026
Battle For The Bell! Saturday, September 26, 2026 6:00 p.m. CT Yulman Stadium ESPN+ Hall of Fame night in Uptown. Southern Miss leads the all-time series 24-10. They walked into this building in 2022 and left with a 27-24 win. Tulane answered 21-3 in Hattiesburg in 2023. The Wave’s last home win in this series was 2002. Both teams are 1-2. Tulane is an 18.5-point favorite. The Wave just took Kansas State the distance after the Duke punch and the South Alabama escape. Southern Miss beat Alcorn State 49-3, then got manhandled 43-8 at Auburn and 48-20 by UConn. Will Hall faces the program that fired him. He will not make it about him. Saturday night should. Can the Wave finally take the Bell back at home? Sponsor: @RedshirtLtd http://Redshirtltd.com CODE: RDW = 10% Off The Best Tulane Licensed Lids Around! Tulane Green Wave: Year 1 of the Will Hall era. Ugly 17-3 opener at Duke. Necessary 28-24 home win when Jaylin Lucas ran for 214 and Kadin Semonza hit Destyn Hill with 1:17 left. Then a 31-20 road loss at Kansas State that was closer than the first two weeks and still not enough. Semonza is the starter. 38-of-69, 517 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT through three games. He also has a rushing TD and too many sacks. 10 carries for -27 at K-State. Roster reality heading into Saturday night: The Wave still cannot stay on the field on defense. Third down remains the wound. K-State converted enough of them for Avery Johnson to take the game over with his legs. Tulane allowed 6 sacks and finished with 260 total yards. What remains is still Wave culture: Lucas has 215 yards on 18 carries. The USA explosion was real. The K-State night was not. Maurice Turner gave them a spark in Manhattan (64 rush, 25-yard TD catch). Johnnie Daniels has two short TDs. Destyn Hill is 9-158-1. Jamauri McClure (foot) has not played in any of the three games. Zycarl Lewis Jr. is questionable (leg). If McClure is not ready again, Lucas / Turner / Daniels have to finish drives against a defense that has been gashed on the ground. Southern Miss Golden Eagles: Year 1 of Blake Anderson. Seventy-four new players! They flattened Alcorn State, then found out the rest of the schedule is not Alcorn State. They are 1-2 after 43-8 at Auburn and 48-20 vs UConn. Anderson called it getting manhandled. Starting QB Ethan Hampton is out (throwing hand). Same hand he bruised in camp. Anderson does not expect him to play. Landry Lyddy gets the offense this week. 20-of-33, 265 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT. He threw for 194 in the second half vs UConn, including a 56-yarder to Mario Sanders. Steven Robinson is the problem if Tulane does not set the edge. 56-246-4. Jamarice Wilder has 120 and 2 scores. Sanders is the WR1: 16-233-1. USM defense has allowed 220 rushing yards per game and 31.3 points. That is the number that should keep Hall’s group from getting cute. Both teams have questions. Only one of them is playing at home with a two-score line and a chance to put a bad three weeks behind them. Southern Miss offense vs Tulane defense Anderson and Kyle Cefalo will want to run Robinson and play-action off it. QB Hampton is out. This is Lyddy’s operation. He can push it downfield. He also turned it over once vs UConn and this Tulane defense has to make him live in obvious passing downs. The run committee: Steven Robinson 246 yards, 4 rushing TDs, plus a receiving score. Workhorse. Not a home-run back so much as a volume back who will take what you give him between the tackles. Jamarice Wilder is the change of pace. 120 yards, 2 TDs, 5.2 a carry. Receivers: Mario Sanders 16-233-1. The 56-yarder vs UConn is the tape. MJ Johnson 7-103. AJ Little 11-101. Grant Page has a 33-yard catch from Lyddy. Tulane’s 4-2-5 under Tayler Polk / Nate Fuqua just watched Avery Johnson run for 152 and two scores. Before that, Nate Sheppard gouged them for 227 at Duke and South Alabama held the ball for 37 minutes. Chris Rodgers (left leg) is out and would’ve played a huge role for spying on Avery. Makai Williams has stepped up. Dickson Agu is still the tackling machine. Jack Tchienchou is still the defensive leader. Kevin Adams III is right there with him. Ed Smith IV, Kameron Hamilton, and the young ends have to set the edge against Robinson/Wilder and keep Lyddy from extending. We’re about to hit Conf play and I believe the young edges are heating up! Through three games the pass rush has been too quiet. Dalton Hughes rushing the passer could still be a fun option, if healthy. If Robinson gets 20 carries on schedule, this becomes a 60-minute possession game and Yulman gets quiet. If Tulane wins first down and forces Lyddy into third-and-7+, the secondary can hunt. X Factor: Just show the world what this D is capable of. Fast, Aggressive, and Turnover hungry. Tulane offense vs Southern Miss defense: Hall and Russ Callaway will still want to run it and play-action off it. Semonza does not have to throw 40 times. He has to stay on schedule, hit Hill / Brown-Stephens / Richardson when USM loads the box, and protect the football. Zero interceptions in three games is the best thing on this tape. Keep it. The offensive line is the swing unit at home. Reese Baker is the veteran. K-State teed off for six sacks. That cannot happen against a Golden Eagle front that has not traveled well. If McClure is still out, Lucas is the feature again. 214 on 11 vs USA was real. 4 carries for -2 at K-State was also real. Turner and Daniels have to finish drives. Tight ends Dawson Johnson, Vance Bolyard and the F package still need to be involved. TE and Superback let em work! Southern Miss defense last two weeks: Auburn and UConn ran through them. 220 rush yards allowed per game. 31.3 points allowed. Third-down defense is not a strength. If that front stays gap-sound, Semonza is in obvious passing downs by the middle of the second quarter. If they overpursue Lucas the way USA did, the Wave can steal explosives. Hill already has a 61-yarder and the game-winner. Mitchell had the 41-yarder at K-State. Last time this building saw this series, USM won 27-24 in 2022. In 2023 in Hattiesburg the Wave punched first and never let them up, 21-3. The difference Saturday is whether Tulane plays like an 18.5-point favorite or like the team that needed a last-minute score to beat South Alabama. X Factor: Explosive run game + zero turnovers. Anything less and a 1-2 USM team with a backup QB stays in it longer than this crowd wants. Overall and three keys to victory for Tulane: On paper this one should not be close. Tulane’s favor. The Wave is at home, healthier at quarterback, and playing a team that just got smashed in back-to-back weeks and is starting its backup QB. Southern Miss is 1-2, missing Hampton, and has allowed 220 rushing yards a night. The only reason this is interesting is 2022 in this building and the fact that this Wave team has not played a complete game yet. Hall will not talk about Hattiesburg. Everybody else will. Saturday night. 6 p.m. kick. ESPN+. Hall of Fame. The Bell is in the building! Three keys for Tulane: 1. Set the edge and make Robinson/Wilder earn everything. If Robinson gets 20 carries on schedule, Lyddy gets free play-action and the Wave defense spends the night in the middle of the field. Set the edge, tackle in space, force USM into third-and-7+. Generate pressure. Do not let a backup QB get comfortable. 2. Play-calling/Feed your Stars. Play-calling has to get better and keep your stars on the field, you can’t be worried about the Portal. Lucas and Hill should never leave the field, use this so called superback! 3. Win early downs and stay out of obvious passing situations. The line does not have to dominate. It has to give Semonza a clean pocket on first and second down and create enough push for Lucas / Turner / Daniels / McClure (if healthy) to keep that front honest. Third-and-long is where the K-State game got away. Stay ahead of the chains and this should be the night the offense finally looks like a Wave offense. Yulman will be loud if they punch first. The only time Southern Miss should be in this game is kickoff. They almost never had to sweat Alcorn State and then they had to sweat everything. This is a plus for Tulane if they strike first. Play complementary and clean football, finish in the red zone, tackle, and take the Bell back in the building that lost it in 2022. #RollWave Make sure to follow Patrick Harkness on X
By Bobby Autin September 23, 2026
Southland Showdown in Thibodaux
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