Time To Live With Intention (The Friday Ficks S5 E22)

“Do you remember where you were when it happened?” the docent asked.

“I was one month old, so I think I was in my crib,” I replied.

We were standing in the Texas School Book Depository, fronting Dealey Plaza, the site of JFK’s assassination. For many, that day in 1963 is etched in memory. But fewer and fewer of us remain who were even alive to actually remember it.

And that’s the thing about “remember when” moments: they freeze time.

I remember where I was when Elvis died in ‘77, when Bill Buckner let that ground ball slip through his legs in ‘86 and also, 9/11.

Not just the tragedies. The triumphs, too.

Like Neil Armstrong taking that first step on the moon, the day my brother came home from the hospital after splashing into the world, my first real job, the first date 33 years ago with my wife, and the days our girls were born.

I remember my first Little League hit. The first time I ran two miles without stopping. The view of lower Manhattan from the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge during my first marathon. Teaching my daughters to ride bikes, ski, and run their first races. And road trips to Gettysburg and the Baseball Hall of Fame with my father and brother.

“Remember when” is more than nostalgia - it’s how we measure meaning. Some just happen, but others are intentional. Curated. Purposeful.

This year has already given me more of those moments. I hope the same is true for you. And if not, there’s still time.

Time to make memories that matter. Time to live stories worth retelling.

Time to live with intention.

Own the day. Own the weekend.

Carl