Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

The man who changed the world with baseball cards

Jordan Grumet, MD
Physician
January 7, 2025
Share
Tweet
Share

An excerpt from The Purpose Code: How to unlock meaning, maximize happiness, and leave a lasting legacy.

Back in middle school, an awkward kid on the cusp of teenagerdom, I met a man who changed my life forever without intending to. He had stumbled upon his own sense of purpose and, because of it, was making his mark on the world—and those around him.

Roman was the picture of an aging athlete. His twenties had seen his muscles soften and the beginnings of a belly develop on his otherwise lean frame. His boyish face was patient and kind. He always seemed to be about to smile.

Roman would have described himself as a people person. In fact, it’s probably why he went into the antiques business in the first place. His high-school tenure as a top football player ended with the unfortunate twist of an ankle. Yet his natural affability—combined with furniture-refinishing skills learned from his carpenter father—made owning an antiques store in the Chicago suburbs more or less viable.

He spent his days hanging out in the store, refinishing old furniture in the back when foot traffic was slow, and buying and selling various doodads when he saw the opportunity to make a buck. One day, while cleaning out an old dresser in preparation for sanding, he scouted out a long-forgotten box of baseball cards tucked away in the far recesses of the bottom drawer. A quick call to the seller confirmed that the cards were unwanted and Roman was free to do with them as he pleased. While he often caught the Cubbies on the radio or the small portable television at the checkout counter, he had no idea how to place a value on the forgotten box of cards.

A few days later, a surly teenager accompanying his mother into the store provided a tidy solution. He offered Roman $100 for the whole lot. Feeling that luck was upon him—which it truly was, though not for the reason he thought—he parted with the haphazard collection without hesitation.

Now, as any of you reading this who happen to have a surly teenager at home will have experienced, they aren’t afraid to let you know when you have made a mistake. This young kid—Ryan was his name—was quick to spread a few cards on the counter right in front of Roman and explain why the collection was worth far more than $100.

And that’s when it suddenly clicked. Roman knew that he was meant to buy and sell baseball cards. He couldn’t explain why exactly. Maybe it was the memory of bending them into the spokes of his bike when he rode around the neighborhood with his friends in elementary school; or the touch of his father’s hand as he was dragged through the bleachers on that first visit to Wrigley Field for his fifth birthday. The synapses were firing but cognitive explanations were slow to follow.

The first thing Roman did was hire Ryan on the spot to help him build his empire. Then he started buying. A year later, what had once been seen by local children as a stuffy antiques store had become a hub for nerds, geeks, and baseball fans everywhere. Not only had store profits doubled, but Roman found himself at the center of a bustling, raucous, and growing community.

The store was never empty again, and Roman couldn’t have been happier.

Which is when I met him. A few years after my dad had died, and reeling from a learning disability that had placed me well behind my peers, I felt lonely and disconnected. I struggled with friendships and couldn’t contemplate finding a place where I felt that I belonged.

But then I did.

When I walked into Century’s Antiques, I met a group of kids who were just like me. They became my community. We were the outcasts, the nerds, those not popular enough to have their calendar populated with social events and parties. We existed under the benevolence of our “sponsor.” Roman always had a kind word, a new pack of cards to give away and open, and some well-placed advice when one of us came in moping over our latest disappointment.

Looking back on my childhood, this meant everything.

ADVERTISEMENT

Unfortunately, at first glance, the story doesn’t have a happy ending. After a couple of years, Roman was diagnosed with metastatic cancer. Exhausted from chemotherapy, and an unexpected strike in major league baseball, he saw his record profits begin to spiral down. On a quiet Saturday morning, Roman closed Century’s Antiques, leaving a hole in the community felt particularly acutely by a rambunctious group of teens and preteens who had needed somewhere to belong.

Although Roman’s days were numbered, those moments behind the counter mentoring the neighborhood kids while sorting through cards and chewing the godawful gum that came wedged between each pack were some of his most joyful. Roman had stumbled into purpose and it led to happiness.

I’m not talking about earth-shattering, world-saving, fame-causing purpose—the kind that people often dream of; the kind that causes anxiety when we’re told (or think we’re told) we must have it to live a life of meaning and contentment. That’s because the first step to cracking the purpose code is realizing that the purpose that brings meaning and contentment isn’t that kind of purpose at all. It’s not Purpose with a big, shining capital letter; it’s purpose with a little “p.” Small—but with a bigger, better, more meaningful impact on your life than the grandest imaginable all-consuming PURPOSE in bright lights.

This purpose is found in small beckonings to pursue the things we are passionate about.

Jordan Grumet is an internal medicine physician, host of the Earn & Invest Podcast, and author of The Purpose Code: How to unlock meaning, maximize happiness, and leave a lasting legacy.

Prev

What if transitions of care resembled transitions of power?

January 7, 2025 Kevin 0
…
Next

How cognitive biases are sabotaging your wealth-building efforts [PODCAST]

January 7, 2025 Kevin 0
…

Tagged as: Primary Care

Post navigation

< Previous Post
What if transitions of care resembled transitions of power?
Next Post >
How cognitive biases are sabotaging your wealth-building efforts [PODCAST]

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

More by Jordan Grumet, MD

  • A hospice doctor’s advice on getting your finances in order

    Jordan Grumet, MD
  • A story of persistence in the face of death

    Jordan Grumet, MD
  • When a physician gets yelled at

    Jordan Grumet, MD

Related Posts

  • I was trolled by another physician on social media. I am happy I did not respond.

    Casey P. Schukow, DO
  • What’s the future of the physician assistant?

    Dale J. Bingham, PA-C, MPH
  • The solution to a crumbling primary care foundation is direct primary care

    Sara Pastoor, MD
  • The medical education question that needs to be changed

    Bo Cheng, DO, PharmD
  • The rise of direct primary care in America

    Andy Bonner
  • The demise of primary care in America

    Gregg Coodley, MD

More in Physician

  • Why physicians deserve more than an oxygen mask

    Jessie Mahoney, MD
  • More than a meeting: Finding education, inspiration, and community in internal medicine [PODCAST]

    American College of Physicians & The Podcast by KevinMD
  • Why recovery after illness demands dignity, not suspicion

    Trisza Leann Ray, DO
  • How physicians can reclaim control over medical malpractice risks

    Howard Smith, MD
  • Boost patient satisfaction with the power of fragrance

    Neil Baum, MD
  • Why self-care must become medicine’s new standard

    Jessie Mahoney, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care

      Carlin Lockwood | Policy
    • My journey from misdiagnosis to living fully with APBD

      Jeff Cooper | Conditions
    • Why we fear being forgotten more than death itself

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
    • Bureaucracy over care: How the U.S. health care system lost its way

      Kayvan Haddadan, MD | Physician
    • Addressing the physician shortage: How AI can help, not replace

      Amelia Mercado | Tech
    • Why does rifaximin cost 95 percent more in the U.S. than in Asia?

      Jai Kumar, MD, Brian Nohomovich, DO, PhD and Leonid Shamban, DO | Meds
  • Past 6 Months

    • What’s driving medical students away from primary care?

      ​​Vineeth Amba, MPH, Archita Goyal, and Wayne Altman, MD | Education
    • Internal Medicine 2025: inspiration at the annual meeting

      American College of Physicians | Physician
    • The hidden bias in how we treat chronic pain

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • Residency as rehearsal: the new pediatric hospitalist fellowship requirement scam

      Anonymous | Physician
    • Are quotas a solution to physician shortages?

      Jacob Murphy | Education
    • A faster path to becoming a doctor is possible—here’s how

      Ankit Jain | Education
  • Recent Posts

    • Breaking the cycle of sacrifice: from medical martyrdom to purposeful healing [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care

      Carlin Lockwood | Policy
    • “The medical board doesn’t know I exist. That’s the point.”

      Jenny Shields, PhD | Conditions
    • Why does rifaximin cost 95 percent more in the U.S. than in Asia?

      Jai Kumar, MD, Brian Nohomovich, DO, PhD and Leonid Shamban, DO | Meds
    • When moisturizers trigger airport bomb alarms

      Eva M. Shelton, MD and Janmesh Patel | Conditions
    • Better dizziness diagnosis through skilled exams [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

Leave a Comment

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care

      Carlin Lockwood | Policy
    • My journey from misdiagnosis to living fully with APBD

      Jeff Cooper | Conditions
    • Why we fear being forgotten more than death itself

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
    • Bureaucracy over care: How the U.S. health care system lost its way

      Kayvan Haddadan, MD | Physician
    • Addressing the physician shortage: How AI can help, not replace

      Amelia Mercado | Tech
    • Why does rifaximin cost 95 percent more in the U.S. than in Asia?

      Jai Kumar, MD, Brian Nohomovich, DO, PhD and Leonid Shamban, DO | Meds
  • Past 6 Months

    • What’s driving medical students away from primary care?

      ​​Vineeth Amba, MPH, Archita Goyal, and Wayne Altman, MD | Education
    • Internal Medicine 2025: inspiration at the annual meeting

      American College of Physicians | Physician
    • The hidden bias in how we treat chronic pain

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • Residency as rehearsal: the new pediatric hospitalist fellowship requirement scam

      Anonymous | Physician
    • Are quotas a solution to physician shortages?

      Jacob Murphy | Education
    • A faster path to becoming a doctor is possible—here’s how

      Ankit Jain | Education
  • Recent Posts

    • Breaking the cycle of sacrifice: from medical martyrdom to purposeful healing [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care

      Carlin Lockwood | Policy
    • “The medical board doesn’t know I exist. That’s the point.”

      Jenny Shields, PhD | Conditions
    • Why does rifaximin cost 95 percent more in the U.S. than in Asia?

      Jai Kumar, MD, Brian Nohomovich, DO, PhD and Leonid Shamban, DO | Meds
    • When moisturizers trigger airport bomb alarms

      Eva M. Shelton, MD and Janmesh Patel | Conditions
    • Better dizziness diagnosis through skilled exams [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Leave a Comment

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...