I read a book once or twice (and again now) by a really good author who told a story of a friend who wrote down every memory he had. I remember how that struck me as a really good and important thing to do. And then I forgot about it; or I just didn't do it; or both.

Then I went to an information session for a charter school A* and I are considering for Amelia, and during the presentation by the principal about the school's vision to produce leadership qualities in all of the students, I vividly remembered a significant experience during my elementary school years. I told myself that I should write it down, and better yet, it could be my first blog post to re-start this old thing. And then I forgot about it; or I just didn't do it; or both.

And then tonight A* and I watched The Social Network, and of course the movie is intertwined with memories and blogging, and despite my intense three-day long migraine that survived the stomach flu better than the rest of my body, my mind returned to this memory, and thus to urge to finally write it down.

I was either in 4th or 5th grade, and Fred was a grade below. We were both good soccer players for our youth Tri-City soccer league in western Pennsylvania. To say I was humble about how good I was would be an exaggeration. I was good, and I knew it. I used how good I was to use it as a subject for the essay portion of my entrance exam to Shady Side Academy. Somehow I still got in. I was usually on the worst teams in the league, but still managed to score 1 to N goals a game.* I probably had games where I didn't score, but I don't really remember NOT going to DQ after for a game performance award from my mom.

But one day during lunch recess, Fred and I thought it would be good for NKCA, our tiny Christian elementary school, to have a soccer team. Despite have recess in a gravel parking lot, and a tiny grass yard, we wrote out our proposal on a green steno pad detailing how we could coach NKCA's first soccer team. And we were quite specific: how we could coach the team, the days and times we were available, how we would utilize the small lot for drills, the equipment we needed (well, soccer balls and maybe a net), and the safety requirements every player needed for follow (shin guards and mouth guard, of course). We finished our multi-page proposal, and gave it to someone. It could have been our teacher (teachers often taught two grades during the same year) or maybe to the principal herself (Mrs. Hetrick). Regardless, I remember having a very long (for a 4th/5th grader) conversation in Mrs. Hetrick's office thanking us boys for such a wonderful idea, and how wonderful it was that we would like to share something we enjoy with the rest of the boys and girls. I don't remember how she let us know we couldn't do what we wanted, but I do know it was gentle, and I don't at all remember thinking or feeling it was because we were only 9 or 10 and thus couldn't really do this. No, I remember feeling that it was really a good idea, but it just wasn't possible for other reasons my inexperienced brain couldn't fathom. In short, it was just how an elementary school principal should discuss such an idea with aspiring young children, and that is it made me feel special and good.

This is a great memory, and a quarter century later I can feel great about it. It's just the kind of experience that I hope both of kids can have someday: have an idea they care so much about they write it down, share it to someone, and have that someone encourage them and their idea without crushing it through a dose of reality. In all honesty, it's what I hope I do everyday with them, though I know I fail more often than I'd like to admit. But more importantly, I want them to have this experience with someone outside of our family, like Mrs. Hetrick, because it will be that much more significant, and stick with them that much longer.

(photo credit: http://www.greenlightoffice.com)
* - wow, I really have been deep into systems engineering projects lately