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Saturday, March 28, 2015

Chopped Memories

On Valentine's Day, I offered up several Kellogg's cards in need of a home. The Card Chop's Steve Cornell bravely laid claim to a card which resulted in our first trade.  I'm slowly working on team sets so he lent a helping hand:


1978 Topps - hard to believe I didn't already have these cards.  In general, the 70s are my favorite decade until you hit 1977.  I'd entered junior high in mid-year 6th grade after a sheltered year and a half at Christian Heritage Academy.  I felt lost and was truly a misfit.  I'd always made friends easily and couldn't understand why I wasn't accepted by my new peers.  This was the year I became a wallflower.


I hid between the pages of teen magazines and books. School became a place to prove myself.  If the other kids didn't like me, it would be because I was the smart kid.  4.00 straight A.   Wrong-o.  My strategy backfired.  I became the teacher's pet. Now they wanted to beat me up.   In 1978, they tried.


A girl my age but a little smaller, punched me.  In all my life, I don't think there have ever been so many eyes focused on me.  Quite a crowd gathered around to watch the fight. This episode probably began my long streak of disappointing others.  As she waited for me to throw a punch or tackle her.....I....did.....nothing.  I stood there, staring right into her eyes.  She said something like aren't you going to fight back?   No.  I was not.  Little did she know, I was used to being knocked around. 


I ran into her a couple years later when she was transferred to my high school...into my home room class.  Oh goody.  I had settled into my wallflower life  - and did manage to remain mostly unnoticed all throughout high school - and here was my recent past sitting right across from me.  She approached me one day only to ask if I remembered that afternoon she punched me. Uhm, well of course.  She said she'd never been so scared in her life when I didn't hit her or defend myself.  It wasn't what she expected.  She never bothered me again.  And I resigned from my position as teacher's pet.
 
Steve's a mad man.  One look at his blog and you'll surely agree.  I hadn't expected to take a trip down memory lane, nor to share this story until I sat down at the keyboard.  The cards are wonderful and my 78 set is complete but for a Lou Whitaker rookie card.  I have Jack Morris, Parrish and the Molitor/Trammell rookies.  Steve threw in a few extra niceties, including a 78 Bucky.  I love me some Dent!

                                                                     April 10, 1979 issue

5 comments:

  1. I enjoyed the card immensely, and the memories are just old. Middle and high school years can be hard for anyone. I hurt for kids today, growing up in an era of public bullying. For them, there is often nowhere to hide. Looking forward to another trade!

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  2. Thanks for sharing that story. Sorry that happened to you. Junior High was not a fun time for many people, I think, myself definitely included. Oh and your 78 team set IS complete, wait for it.

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    1. When I began this blog my intent was to share life, stories and fun wrapped around baseball cards. The numbers of trades surprised me so it's been hard to keep up. I'm trying to find a balance in order to write more freely. I appreciate your comment, and reading my blog! And I will wait - for Kaiser the Great has spoken...or in this case written.

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