I need help.  I have a new "disease".  Actually, this sickness has existed for some time now, and I've had it my entire adult life, but only in the past few months have I realized and come to accept that I am AAS positive.  That is to say, I'm an Adult Autograph Seeker.

That's right.  I'm a grown adult of 27 years of age, and I enjoy meeting professional athletes and asking for their signature on a piece of memorabilia.  Since graduating high school I have meet several Chicago area athletes like Mike Singletary, Jon Garland, Neal Cotts, and Brandon McCarthy, and I have their signatures on photos and baseballs to prove it.  I have spent my own hard earned money to purchase autographs from other collectors as well.  These athletes include (among many others) Tom Brady, Tony Gonzalez, Derrick Johnson, Dick Butkus and Frank Thomas.  

I couldn't dream of going to a professional game without bringing Sharpie and something for somebody to scribble their name on.  What if I came face to face with one of my favorite players?  I couldn't let myself live that down.  Oh yeah, and I still bring my glove to baseball games too.  I'm sooooooo bad.

Obtaining autographs was something I enjoyed as a kid, and I guess I never grew out of it.  I can remember meeting many all-time greats.  My first autograph was Hank Aaron, so I was off to a good start.  Although I was only seven at the time and I barely knew who this man was, let alone why my dad gave $10 to wait in line at the Villa Park Odium to get his autograph, I remember being honored to meet a man who had so many fans.  That same day I got Willie Stargell and Stan Mikita's autographs too.  Mikita signed a game used hockey stick from his playing days in the early 1970's.  Good ol' Dad broke his stick skating at the ice arena where the Blackhawks used to practice and an attendant let him borrow a stick from Mikita's personal bag.  My dad used the stick for about 5 seconds before taking it out to the car and driving home.  That is one heck of a souvenir!

In my childhood I also attended a Blackhawks practice and got to meet and get signatures from Chris Chelios, Jeremy Roenick, Doug Wilson, and Ed Belfour.  At a card show once I met a young White Sox rookie named Alex Fernandez, who apparently was not quite popular yet.  I knew this because after purchasing a Fernandez rookie card and having him sign it, my friend and I noticed there was nobody else in line behind us, so we went back to the same dealer, bought a dozen more cards and got him to sign all of them for us.  At a different show years later I met Tom Waddle and Tom Paciorek.  I met Bill Cartwright at a White Sox game once.  

The point is this:  It was fun for me as a kid, and it's fun for me now, so why do I get made fun of or get snickers from people just because I'm all grown up?  

I guess that's just the kid in me still, or maybe it's the sports fan, or possibly a combination of both.  I won't give up my hobby, and I couldn't dream of giving away or selling any of my autographs.  In fact, I'm all about getting more.  I don't mind spending big money to add to my collection, but my preference will always be meeting athletes in person.  When I hear radio commercials touting that so-and-so will be signing autographs at this place on this date, my ears perk and my eyes light up.  God, I love that feeling.

For now, all my autographs are stored away in boxes until I can finish remodeling my basement.  Then, they'll be on display for all my friends and family to view.  It'll be my favorite room in the whole wide world.  I just wish I didn't have to be embarrassed because of my AAS disease.