I remember I was laid out in the grass on a warm (not too hot, not too cold) and sunny day, flipping through a box of NFL Pro Set Don Shula cards. I got them all from my grandpa a few years ago and it’s always been something special to me ever since. I’ve been a fan of Don Shula for ages. I mean, the man is a living legend. He’s the winningest coach of all time, after all!
I can honestly say it was a downright magical afternoon as I laid there flipping through the cards; some of them in near-mint condition, others a little more worn down and aged. One of the cards had a special message written on the back by Don Shula himself and it went something like this: “To my number one fan, thank you for your loyalty and support. -Coach Don Shula”. I was overwhelmed and completely taken aback.
As I daydreamed about what could’ve been, if only I had known how to meet the great man himself, something unexpected happened. While admiring one of the cards, my eyes peeked over the soft outfield grass that was on the back of the card, I noticed that aside from the usual embossed words, there was something else, something more… a secret message! A secret message that read “You are the one. Go now”.
Curious, I haven’t shared this with anyone yet, so keep this to yourself, ok? I followed the instructions, and soon enough, I found myself at the very place the card had instructed me to be: the nearby football field. I got to the field to find a single player, and when he turned around I saw that it was none other than Coach Don Shula himself! Pretty neat, right?
He welcomed me with open arms, intrigued at why I was there. After I told him the story about the card, he smiled and told me this story: “I’m sure you’re already aware of this, but my relationship with the NFL Pro Set cards goes back a long way. I used to collect them as a kid, and I was always looking for that one special card. I remember even as a young one flipping through countless packs, searching for the real modern-day silver lining. I never found it, yet here you are now with it in your hands, the very card I was searching for all these years”.
The moral of the story is that sometimes it pays to be patient. All these years have passed, and yet the card he was searching for all those years had finally found its way back to him. Don’t you just love a happy ending?
Now then, what does this have to do with the NFL Pro Set Don Shula cards? Well, they have become something of a personal legend in my mind. Every time I open up that box of cards, I’m reminded of this one special moment in my life. That moment when I happened to be in the right place at the right time, with the right card in the right hand. Everything just seemed to fall into place.
It’s funny how something so simple can take on such a grand significance. To me, that single Don Shula card will forever remain a beloved part of my most treasured memories. It’s a reminder that everything will be alright in the end, if we just stay patient and trust life to do its thing.
Another lesson I took away from this experience was the importance of cherishing the moments that really mean something to us, like the Don Shula card. Sometimes we take these moments for granted and forget how special they truly are. Even if it’s something as small as a rare NFL collectible card, it can still represent something greater.
The Don Shula card also taught me to never give up. The great man himself was searching for this single card for years, never giving up until he got it in the end. It just goes to show that if you work hard and stay patient, then anything is possible. Nothing is ever really out of reach as long as you keep going.
I’m sure glad I found that card. I never expected it to be so meaningful. At the time, it was just another card in the box. But now, when I look back, it’s so much more than just a collectible. It’s a part of my personal story, a reminder of a special day that will stay with me forever.