Only a few days ago, I talked about Mike, what a great guy he is and how we have remained friends through the years. This blog is going out to another great guy that I have known and called a great friend since we first when we were about 12.

   His name is Sean and we first met back in 1981 while I was umpiring one his brothers’ Little League games. We also ended up playing on an All-Star team for 13-year olds’ and, soon enough, played ball at his house many a summer day with other people we knew, time and again.

Interestingly enough, those games at his house remain some of my clearest memories. Why? Probably because they took place such a long time ago. We all played for fun, never got too worked up about any particular plays, rules, final scores or any other ridiculous reason.

While I am the youngest in my family, Sean is the oldest in his, but this never effected our friendship. He was a great guy back then and is still a great guy now. If he had not entertained the idea of me moving out there(to AZ), I may have never left Connecticut or met my wife Annette.

Unlike myself, Sean is a guy who had made many a friend out there and introduced me to them when we’d go out. He didn’t have to do that. I know, I know, that sounds like a ridiculous thing to say, but I was-and still believe that though I had made friends growing up, I never tried real hard when I moved out there to meet other people(other than Annette). I believe I was this way because of my seizures and of what I thought might think of me if I seized out in front of them.

Anyway, it only made sense for me to talk about this great guy. As well as he knows me, he also knows much of my family pretty well and those who know him also think the world of him.  Even though my story is a pretty common one- many a person probably don’t have a million friends- I know I am real fortunate to have met those two guys. They’ve made me a happier person and I believe that is a big reason why I have had the strength to stand toe-to-toe to epilepsy without backing down, feeling sorry for myself or giving up and saying, “To hell with it.” Thank you guys, now and forever.