"What's your favorite memory?"

 

My blog is in travel mode as I head to Paris and try to avoid the fact that I’ll be turning 40 in a couple weeks. It was fitting that, at a presentation at a middle school earlier in the week, a student asked me, “What is your favorite memory?” I was momentarily stunned as I processed all the different things The students had a hint of all the things I’ve done, places I’ve seen, and people I’ve met, so there was a bit of pressure to produce a good answer. The answer, however, was one I didn’t know the answer to immediately after the question.

photo credit Walter Kuhn, IMS

My brain was racing. How could I come up with a favorite memory? The first image that flashed into my head was Helio Castroneves crossing the line under my twin checkered flags to win his fourth Indianapolis 500. That’s a moment that is indescribable as the roar of the fans was louder than the cars and I lived out an impossible life dream. I smiled and proceeded to answer the question by mentioning that this was the first thing that came to my mind, but in a way that moment is a moment just for me and it had nothing to do with the good of others so if it were my favorite, it would be with a hint of too much self.

Next up in my brain was flashes of all the awesome places I’ve been. I tried to explain the island of Reunion and how remote it is. That type of travel isn’t for everyone and witnessing a sunset on the horizon over the Indian Ocean isn’t a common occurrence for us North American inhabitants, but at the same time, as great of a memory as it is for me, it’s lacking on what should be the singular favorite memory.

I was speaking in circles and any seasoned politician would’ve been proud in my stalling tactics as I tried to formulate my answer. I spoke of presenting on the top floor of the J. Edgar Hoover building in DC, and as I mentioned that and scanned the audience and saw a teacher almost entranced with my words it hit me. I began my answer again.

“My favorite memory is actually a time I spoke at a school.” It was a fifth grade only presentation a little over a decade ago. I was a rookie when it came to school presentations, but the kids were entranced by my words, and it was the start of “magical” presentations. During these moments it’s as if the world has come to a halt and all previous moments were to be in that exact moment. The students, teachers, and anyone else watching is solely focused on my words, and the heartwarming questions the students ask. It was after that presentation, on that day over a decade ago, that I knew I was where I needed to be.

A teacher came to me afterwards with a solemn expression. He attempted to speak but words were failing him. He choked up, held his breath, and he said, “Mr. Likens, you’ve reignited my passion for teaching. Thank you.” That was it. Nothing more was said as his eyes began to water, and he then walked off. I’m not sure what was going on, and I don’t know what became of this teacher, but in that moment my pain of all the years prior were worth it. I continued my answer to the students earlier this week by saying, “In life you will never know the impact you’ll have on a person. Most of you probably don’t know for certain what you’d like to do as a career, and this applies more than just in your future work life, because every day you can have an impact like I had. Every day you have the chance to leave a lasting positive impact on a person by being a friend, a peer that lends a hand, or helping someone in need. I didn’t understand this until that teacher told me abut his passion for teaching and that’s why it’s my favorite memory.”