Frame It, File It, or Trash It

• Game 6 of 2011 World Series - Framed. (I've seen highlights of this game over 100 times. I've gotten goosebumps EVERY time.)
• Mike Jones' tackle in Super Bowl XXXIV - Framed.
• The first time a student said "Mr. Kurz, you're awesome! You should teach here!" - Framed.
• The day I was baptized - Framed.
• Carrying the casket of my grandparents - Framed.

Every moment in time that passes, every day that happens, every word spoken or heard. All have to go somewhere. Some - like those above - are framed. Some are filed away. Some are trashed. How that process works is sometimes a mystery..

Like why in the world did I file away the memory of the 1996 MLB Playoffs (yes, I was only 6 years old) when the Cardinals collapsed and blew a 3-1 series lead in the NLCS to the Braves? Yes, i have that memory filed away. However, I can't remember how to do some important things in upper-level math that would be helpful for Abstract Algebra (I'll give you a moment to wash up after barfing at the sound of that class).

The majority of the information I've ever been taught in school has been trashed. The majority of the rest (yes, I know that's probably not politically correct) has been partially filed away. Just a tiny little bit has been framed. Each of us has different criteria for framing. What's important to me may not be as important to you. I wish I could convert more of the files to frames.

The quadratic formula - Framed. I can see Mrs. Conlan at the front of that classroom signing away. Still. And EVERY time I need to use the quadratic formula - BOOM! - her voice pops into my head. That lady inspired me. Yes, she was quirky and pretty doggone nerdy, but I learned as much mathematically in that one class as I have to date. She was a framer. She made a point of being a framer; it was her goal. It was her passion.

Coach Chance running/jumping/flying/(insert any other form of excitable, quick movement) to tell us we'd gotten 2nd place at the State Cross Country Meet - Framed. To be honest, it has very little to do with the fact we got 2nd. Honestly. It's the pure joy, happiness, sense of pride in us that coach had. That meant so much to him. To this day, I would go out and run a 5k for him (trust me, it'd be much slower than it was in 2004). He framed that moment for me. Why? Helping us succeed, teaching us to be great, and inspiring us to do the unthinkable (we had "absolutely no shot" on paper to challenge for a state title) was his passion. 

People caring enough about me and my success to go out of their way to help me understand something or be great at something is more than enough to meet the criteria of framing in my mind. Passion is a magnetic trait. Not enough people have a passion or show passion for anything.

I have failed at a lot of things; I have made a lot of mistakes. I know I will be down and fail again. But there is one thing I promise that you cannot accuse me of: not being passionate about things I love and those whom I love. When/if I am blessed with the opportunity to have my own classroom, it will be my daily mission to be a framer. I will work as hard as I can, using the strengths God has given me, to frame things of importance in the minds of my students.

P.S. I am currently reading (by force, not choice) Great Moments in Mathematics: Before 1650. I have a feeling that my trash can just might become a bit more full in the near future..