[meteorite-list] The best part of this hobby!

[Jack Schrader]

Hello list members!  I am a meteorite hobbyist, not a professional in any way, shape or form.  Just someone who has grown to truly love this hobby.  I first got interested in meteorites via my son's interest in astronomy and space in general.  I, not knowing at the time that you could EVEN OWN a meteorite, found a Dalgety Downs on Mike Farmer's ebay listings.  This was in the early days way before Gold Basin and Morocco ever happened on the scene.  Well, I bid on the meteorite for  my son, won it, and the rest you can guess.  It has been a truly wonderful experience and a new lease on life for me ever since.  I have been able to spend many wonderful weekends out in the desert with my son doing something together that we both found that we love so very much, hunting for these very special rocks and getting so excited TOGETHER  when we would find one.    The times that I got to spend with my son are truly priceless and I would not trade those times for anything.   I have even been so very fortunate as to be able to go to Oman and hunt meteorites WITH my son!  A truly incredible experience!  My son's name is Devin by the way, a more wonderful and special son, I could not imagine.  Many of you may know him personally or have seen his posts to the list.  I am twice blessed to have two very special sons!   Even though the meteorites themselves are a world of fun to find and collect and own, I just wanted to say that I have found over the years it has been the people that I have met that have been the real treasures in this crazy hobby.  I treasure the friendships I have made, and would not trade a single one of them for all of the meteorites you could possibly own in a lifetime!  I am absolutely sincere when I say this.   I just met Mike Miller of Kingman.  A true gentleman and a man of impeccable integrity was my very first impression when we met.  I am certain that any of you who know Mike personally would agree.  Mike drove seven hours from Kingman to trade some meteorites with me.  And then he turned around and drove another seven hours just to get back home.  The meteorites are very nice, but I found that I very much enjoyed getting to talk with this man for the short time we had together and realized once again, that this is what it is really about for me.  The people, not the things.  I look at meteorites as things, a common matrix that we all share which serves to bind us, the chondrules together.  For me, it's the people I love, not the things.  At the VERY REAL RISK of being labeled SAPPY, Jack Schrader