When I was seven, my older brother brought home baseball cards. They came in packs with gum! Inside those little treasure chests, you might get Fred Lynn or Rick Burleson or the dreaded Bucky Dent. By the time I was fourteen, I had thousands of baseball cards. Like most kids, I put aside my collection for other pursuits.
As I have gotten older, I found those cards again. My mom did not throw them out. These cards bring me back in time. Each one is a little time capsule. As I try to refine my collection and make it more manageable, I still collect a few players like my friend Ted Lepcio and my childhood favorite, Carlton Fisk.
My wife Suzie collects many things too. She has a collection of antique buttons from her grandmother and antique books from her mom. She has collects hand blown glass vases. We visit the Delaware shore every summer. In Lewes, Suzie visits a boutique which sells hand blown glass vases. Each year bring a new color.
These vases are showcased in our home. With tulip season in full bloom, she carefully picks one off the shelf to frame the tulips. Each time she pulls down a vase, we are reminded of that vacation.
Collections have a way of grounding us and calming us down. They connect to other times and other places. Like Suzie's vases, my baseball cards each have a moment.
