With complete respect and reverence to, and for, Lou Gehrig and his July 4, 1939 words to his teammates, the fans in Yankee Stadium, and all the baseball world, and by no means am I in the same situation or circumstance he went through, but I look at a lot that’s happened in my life and, at times, I feel like I can consider myself the second luckiest man on the face of this earth.

As I’ve expressed often in this periodical, and will always feel the need to continue to do so each and every day of my life, I’ve been blessed in so many ways, though I didn’t always look it in family pictures growing up, but I was blessed with having an amazingly wonderful immediate family, extended family of aunts, uncles, cousins, an extended neighborhood family, complete with multiple parents and siblings we felt, and still do, were also part of our family growing up. I was blessed with my St. James School and Church family, with whom I spent pretty much my whole K-9 education life together every year up to the beginning of sophomore year in High School.

I was blessed with great growing up friends, and have great memories of Hundred Acre Lot, baseball at Silver Fence, the open lot at St. John Church, and Ring School, Football at the Water Works and Ring School, The Turkey Bowl, and later on at Uncle Bob’s, The Pines, friends’ houses on Friday nights, Jim Dandy’s, Henry’s Hamburgers, just to name a few of the places/activities we shared in our youth, teenagerhood, and young adult life.

I’m blessed with wonderful friends in so many situations in our lives, groups with whom we’ve shared an interest or philanthropic purpose, school activities as parents and me as a teacher, committees with those with whom we’ve served, and our friends we gather with at our home, or wine with, dine with, attend concerts and/or movies with, and friends with whom we’ve met tailgating in parking lots or in the 216 area code. I’m sad that too many in these groups have passed on, but I’m proud to say that most of those still here on earth we are still in contact with, some daily, weekly, monthly, and/or yearly, some through social media, some at local watering holes we frequent, at church, even at Wegman’s on Five Percent Wisdom Day.

When I finally decided it would be time to actually grow older (but not up yet, as I hope I’ll never reach being fully grown up), I entered my chosen profession, again blessed that I found a job in my home town, allowing me to stay close to family and longtime friends, and gave me the opportunity to meet, and make, many new friends as well, for near a third of a century, and beyond. (Remember, we can never have too many friends.) I also had opportunities to coach multiple sports, officiate baseball and softball, meet so many great young people, and develop many new friendships in those situations. The best question asked by my kids through the years, and I heard it many, times, was “Dad, is there anyone you don’t know?”

If all of this doesn’t prove my luckiness, I found a wonderful woman with whom to share my life, for 45 plus years. We have an amazing family, three children, six grandchildren, and we’ve (our immediate family) begun a fourth generation as our grandchildren are now having children. We have countless memories of great times, trips, activities, options, and opportunities that life has given us, many with which we’ve become involved.

Not enough evidence of how lucky I am yet? I’m obsessed with sports, specifically baseball and football. I was lucky to have been able to be associated with both, in “working” capacities (definitely, a labor of love capacity) for fifty years, and I loved every minute, of every season of those experiences.

As my obsession has grown, especially more, now that our children and grandchildren are living a distance away from home (some within 20 miles, some much farther away), we’ve “redecorated,” if you will, as we (with the blessings and tolerance of Sally) have turned our living room (and part of the dining room), into a combination Baseball and Football Museum as I call it. It’s loaded with baseball furniture, paintings, puzzles, pictures, bobbleheads, baseballs with meanings, knick-knacks, numerous autographed items, framed jerseys, baseball movie items, ceramic figurines with special meaning, items received at giveaway games, a corner dedicated to the Browns and much more.

We (again with Sally’s blessings, really meaning I), have converted an empty bedroom upstairs into a Man Cave, used often while Sally was still working from our home, and I was already retired. That too, is a display of Sports (teams I root and coached for), a collection of Baseball Books, Coaching Books, sports tchotchkes, numerous baseball movie videos, baseball coaching videos, posters/photos including Don Corleone (Brando), Bluto Blutarsky (Belushi), Cosmo Kramer (Richards), Jimmy Buffett, Oscar Madison (Klugman), Felix Unger (Randall), Drew Carey, Dan Aykroyd, Jerry Garcia, Otto Graham, the 1946 AAFL Champion Browns, numerous player photos (some autographed, some not) of Browns, Indians, Guardians, JHS Baseball, players, and the ’99, ’00, and ’01 Jamestown Jock Shop Cooperstown Kids. It also sports a large-screen TV and Mini-Fridge.

People often ask where I get/got the relics and memorabilia I’ve accumulated in our museum, man cave, and upstairs hallway. I explain a lot I’ve collected myself, but there’s a huge number of items I have on display that were given to me by many who understand my obsession and have literally donated items to our self-made Museum and Museum Annex.

I’ve often been contacted by people who’ve come across, or seen, for sale items, and think of me because it’s related to the teams I love and might be a handsome addition to the Lombardo Museum. Many items they bought themselves and generously gave me gratis, for which I’m very grateful. The following is a roster of many who’ve been so kind to me, who’ve been responsible in some way, shape, or form, for items displayed in our museum, or making me aware of available items somewhere in town. You, all, have made me feel like I’m the second luckiest man on the face of this earth. (Please forgive me if I forget anyone, but know this narrative is to thank everyone for your friendship and generosity. I apologize if Senioritis has cramped my memory some): Thanks to my wife Sally, daughter Chasity, son Jonathan, daughter-in-Law Erica, daughter Christina, son-in-law Jeff, Dad Joe X., Greg Peterson, Randy Anderson, Steve Tedquist, Sam Prinzi, Cousins Greg and Chris Lombardo, Paul Smaldone, Kelly and Megan Gwiazdowski, Jack and Judy Knowlton, John Siwula, Ted Hoca, Joe Ingrao, Dick and Sandy Weimer, Bob and Kathi Black, Russ Diethrich, Andrew Hill, Wally Huckno, Mike Ferguson, Gina/Steven Hess, Ruth Kriese, Franni Carlson, Scott Kindberg, Julie Widen, Kristy Winchester, Mikeal Halpainy-Livermore, Phil Cala, Dave Graf, George Lilja, Stephen Carlson, Bill Davenport, Duane Carlson, Chad Chiffin, Ed Bettridge, Tom Vickers, Carl Rozelle, David Boltz, Chuck & Cathy Strand, Sharon Robinson (daughter of Jackie), Phillip Hoose (cousin of Don Larson), Cleveland Indians/Guardians Fan Services and Ticket Sale Offices, Corey Kinder (Browns Backers Worldwide), ADs from schools where Jon played and schools where I coached sports, and numerous students, teams, players, parents, and Booster Clubs who’ve gifted me items which have ended up in our Home Sports Museum. You and your kindness, thoughtfulness, generosity, and friendship have all made me feel like I’m a close second in luckiness to Baseball’s first Iron Horse. I consider that a very special place to be.