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Health & Fitness

Heroes and Hitters Celebrates 25 Years

Growing up in Rocky Hill, I remember the day a new store opened in our town.  As I watched the sign being put up, I couldn't help but smile.  It said "Heroes and Hitters"  The words were contained in an exploding Batman-like bubble. It combined baseball cards and comics, my first two loves as a kid. At the official grand opening, I met co-owners Wayne Horgan and his wife Eileen.  

With allowance money in hand, my best friend and I would eagerly ride our bikes to purchase the latest issues of Batman, Spiderman, and other heroes. Like Norm and Cliff on Cheers, we became regulars. Wayne even assigned us cubby holes where he would set aside our favorite monthly comics. It was the VIP treatment.  We were the Goodfellas and those cubby holes were like a reserved table at the Copa. Today, I still have my collection of comics from my childhood.  Each one is wrapped in a plastic bag with a special cardboard backing.  I look forward to the day I give them to my own children.  Or I can resort to my original plan as a kid.  I planned to sell them one day so I could buy Magnum P.I.'s ferrari or the Batmobile.  

Recently, I learned the store was celebrating its 25th Anniversary. The news brought back a flood of memories from my childhood. Had it been that long?   I also began realizing what an impact the store had on my life.  Comic books didn't rot my brain.  They encouraged me to read more.  With words like obliterate and excelsior becoming part of my lexicon, I found my vocabulary and my creative writing skills improving.   Reading would become a lifelong passion.  As a High School student, I entered Honors English and wrote for the school paper.  As a college student, I would become an English Major. Eventually, I entered law school, and would enter a career where reading and writing skills were essential for success.  I became a lawyer and my best friend became a teacher.  These days, he brings his own kids to the store.

I've had my own real adventures since my days as regular at Heroes and Hitters.  In the pages of a comic book, anything was possible. I took it to heart.  I wish Wayne and Eileen many more years of success as they inspire more kids to read and search for their own adventures in life.  I wish them all the best. 

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