In my former life, we were often so broke I sold many of my material things to help pay the bills. Comic books, drum kits, percussion instruments and a baseball autographed by Baltimore Orioles legends I got to meet at a charity event in 1983, the last championship year. Cal Ripken, Jr., Gary Roenicke, Sammy Stewart, Al Bumbry, Jim Dwyer and my baseball hero, Eddie Murray. A magical day back then meeting the man. It killed me to sell that ball decades later and it remains the only thing I regret selling. You do what you’ve gotta do when the chips are down.

Today, fate delivered me an autographed Eddie Murray baseball through my beautiful parents. Feeling shell-shocked. Grateful is hardly the word to describe this. Thank you, Mom and Pop. Just wow.

–Ray Van Horn, Jr.