The Best Gifty Evah

The one I remember best was 1967 my dad got tickets to the Yankees and after the game we ended up in the lockers and as a 13 year old hero worshipping Mickey Mantle took pictures with him and Roger Maris and got a baseball signed by the entire team.

My favorite gift of all time was not actually a gift as it was an accomplishment. After 8 years of intense study and training back in 1984, I was awarded my Black Belt. It was an 8 hour test inside a gymnasium for orphan boys that was in a corn field. It was 32 degrees in the gym. Of the 30 testing, I was the only one testing for Black belt and I was only the 2nd person for that school to be tested for that rank. The first guy took 11 years to be able to test. During my test, I was only allowed to wear a gi and had to be barefoot on that floor when all the others were allowed to wear coats and tennis shoes. It was 8 solid nonstop hours of physical endurance and I had to fight all the others 1 at a time, then 2 at a time, then 3, then 4, then finally 5 on one. I could barely lift my arms to block the hits I was receiving. They finally pinned me to to wall and literally proceeded to beat the shit out of me. My instructor yelled to me ...”you want this!? If you want this, then you WILL NOT GIVE UP! You will find a way out of this predicament!” Since they had my arms and shoulders pinned against the wall, I used my legs to creep up the wall just high enough that I could push off with all my might. I pushed hard enough that I was able to take down two of the others while 3 broke away. I did a forward roll on the concrete and got up and ran to the opposite side of the gym. My instructor then called it quits on the fighting. He then made me perform all of my katas at full speed and full strength one last time. I’m sure my form looked like Elaine from Sinefeld trying to dance. After it was all over, my instructor promoted me by giving me a black belt that he had personality worn for 15 years. That BELT that he handed over to me was a big GIFT to me even though I had to work for it.

25...you may have your years confused. Roger Maris wasn't with the Yankees in 1967, he was in St. Louis. I hate to be "that guy" but I'm an accountant and a huge baseball fan!

Roger Maris was traded by the Yankees to to St Louis Cardinals in 1967. It is very possible that 25 met him prior to that trade. I have no reason to doubt 25 on this one.

It might have been the year before It was almost 50 years ago I have the picture still but the ball has long since disappeared.

My mom says me being born was the best gift I ever gave her.

actually it was more than fifty years ago .

I actually saw Mickey Mantle hit a home run in Yankee stadium and Rod Carew stole home in the same game. It rained and ended in a 1-1 tie to be resumed the following day when we were going home. I was crushed.

The best gift I ever gave someone was my mom. Taking care of her. She hasn't had to pay a single bill in 4 years.

IceyLoco - interesting comment. I read Skibum’s and being the hedonist that I am, I was thinking of gifts, but then I realized that my mother who was widowed at age 59, lived alone until her 73rd birthday when I built a new house for her. I had a good sized lot of land on which my home had been for over100 years and I built a single story 1400 square foot house right beside mine. I had a good friend who was a contractor who did a wonderful job at minimal cost. She lived there for 15 years and everyone in the family gained. Not a bad gift - a house.

My best gift I gave was when I helped my X wife receive her education (Associates, Bachelors, and Masters) because when we divorced she was in a position to take care of herself and not ask for any spousal support or alimony.

As far as giving gifts .... I have given cars to 3 families that needed them and have let 5 families (over time) live rent free (I even paid their utilities) over a 10 year period; they were down on their luck. Not certain if all that counts, but they are gifts, I guess

Gawker, a house becomes a gift when it becomes a home. And then you realize home isn't a place its people.