Richard Wells wanted to see if he could connect with people through a TikTok video. It's not a platform where you often find people of his age, but he knew there was one thing that young TikTok users would recognize: his voice.

With a career spanning over 30 years as a voice actor, Richard's voice has been featured in over 10,000 different projects. However, none are as well-known as the two words every gamer hears when first encountering a new video game: "PEGI 18."

It's the European age rating for games, indicating the appropriate age range, from 3 to 7, 12, and 16 to 18 for adult players.

In his TikTok video, Richard simply said, "I'm the guy behind those two words; like and share this video if you recognize my voice." Within a few days, he had gathered over two million likes, and the video had been viewed 10 million times.

In a follow-up video, he shares how overwhelmed he was by all the responses, particularly touched by the kindness in the thousands of comments on his video.

He concludes the video with a message: "There's so much hate on social media these days. Please, never be hateful. If you have nothing nice to say, it's better to say nothing at all."

Richard talks about how much it means to him when people thank him for his work. "Try to give someone a compliment every day for what they do. Some people rarely hear that. Whether it's a bus driver or someone serving you coffee, give them a compliment and tell them you appreciate their work. You'll brighten their entire day."

Communication isn't always about writing, giving lectures, or posting on social media. Sometimes, a thumbs up, a compliment, or an encouraging pat on the back can make just as much or even more of a difference than all the rest.

A good Lenten resolution perhaps?

Father Roderick