Sports Collecting as a stress reliever ??

[ChrisStufflestreet]

I try to keep stress as far away from my life as possible (or at least as far as I can, considering my daughter -- who turned 11 today -- is nearing those dreaded teen years). When it comes to my hobby, there is absolutely no reason to deal with it. At all.

I enjoy pulling out my binder of 1979 Topps and looking through them. Many of the cards were the same ones I busted along with their confectionary sidekicks from their wax prisons as a 6-7 year old, so they take me back to a simpler time in my life. Actually, 1979 wasn't really the greatest year to be alive -- the economy really sucked, the President was being ridiculed by the press for his indecision, some fans thought that the new music blasting from their radios was awful, there was a crisis in the Middle East...hey, wait a second...why do these things sound a bit familiar?

However, despite all the negativity that bothered adults, none of that stuff mattered to me when I was in the 2nd grade. When I'm taking time out for my hobby, I prefer to be taken back to a time when current events and life's harsh realities didn't register on my radar screen.

I've said it before: if I want drama in my life, I'll hit on one of my wife's coworkers while she's watching.