Personality crisis

Few things excite me more than baseball cards.

When a new set comes out, I can't stop thinking about it. Apparently, 2012 Topps Archives has hit the shelves, which I've been waiting on since I first heard about its re-emergence into the market.

Hopefully, I'll be able to pick up a pack or two towards the end of the week. Until then, I'll be sifting through Ebay to see some of highlights of the set. (The inclusion of Oscar Gamble is an extremely good sign.)

Whether I like it or not, it'll be on my mind all week.

New pickups after a show or flea market are among the highlights of my day-to-day life. I couldn't stop admiring my brand new Rickey Henderson rookie card after the events of last afternoon.

It's like holding a piece of history.

Just the cards themselves have always been interesting to me. Whether it's a card featuring an exuberant Tug McGraw or even a card with writing on it, I've never grown tired of the hobby.

It's brought out a side of me that even I never knew existed.

When cardboard isn't the main focus, I'm a quiet, reserved guy.

In school, I'm usually one of those kids that sits in the back of the class every day. I was like this rendition of Darryl Strawberry, just a lot less creepy.

I've found I'm more of an observer than a participator, and I've always favored individual projects towards group ones.

In high school, I was right in the middle of that "food chain". I'd met most of the kids in my grade at some point during those four years, but only a small cluster of my good friends really knew me.

It's just who I am.

I've gotten better in recent years, though. I kind of had to at this point in my life, and it's payed dividends both at college and with my new circle of friends.

This blog has been a tremendous help. It's become one of the reasons I almost have to write day in and day out.

Before I started this blog, I had a lot of internal thoughts, especially when it comes to cardboard. I've always loved my baseball cards, but I never really had an outlet to voice my love for dime boxes and everything else that I love about the hobby.

A year ago, the only person who was genuinely interested in what I had to say about the hobby was my dad. He was my baseball card "mentor", in a way. (I give my mom tons of credit for at least feigning interest, although she really enjoys my Mark Grace collection.)

Now, I've got a great circle of readers who are interested in what I have to say, something that really does mean a lot to me. And I can still talk about cards with my dad anytime I want. Plus, my new friends know what it means to "collect", something I haven't been able to say for a long, long time.

Most kids just aren't big into that type of thing these days, something that's become painfully obvious to me over the last few years of my life.

The blog has certainly been beneficial in voicing my thoughts on baseball cards, but it's also translated into my everyday life as well. It's given me a bit more confidence to at least try and become a little more socially inclined.

I'm still basically that same quiet guy, and I don't know that will ever fully change. But the blog has been one of the major factors in helping crack that shell bit by bit.

For that, I can't say enough.