March Madness (or Memorable Madness, as it should be called) is here. The epitome of NCAA basketball is upon us and our memories become invaluable. Flashbacks from previous tournaments are stuck on the replay button in our heads. I vividly remember last year’s championship in which Louisville capped off a stellar season against a confident Michigan squad. The joy I felt when Louisville won is the reason why memories are so beautiful: I can relive that moment forever.

Every year of March Madness is defined by something special: Kevin Ware’s freak injury last year, which fueled Louisville to win the championship. Wichita State’s improbable Final Four run last year. Lehigh University’s upset bid against a highly ranked Duke team two years ago. “The Shot” of ‘92, when Christian Laettner caught a Hail Mary pass, turned, dribbled and shot a dagger into the heart of Kentucky nation.

From a local standpoint, March Madness bonds our community. People all over the Outer Banks talk about the games, whether it’s through social media or person to person. Brackets are held at almost every big business and games are almost always on TV. Brackets are a staple of March Madness but have actually been deemed illegal.

The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 and the Interstate Wire Act of 1961 prohibits the use of brackets. Although these acts are in place, few cases against brackets have been made. Being a bracket fanatic, I had my best year when I took first place in a pool at my mom’s work and my bracket for ESPN placed in the top 5,000 of the nation.

Socially, March Madness has a huge impact. Twitter feeds are flooded with notifications and updates, Instagram is filled with historic snapshots. Most sports networks mainly focus on college hoops when March comes around. Throughout America people are sharing their opinions of each game, whether they had hit-or-miss brackets or memories of the games watched.

So as the climax of March Madness approaches us and the 2013 NCAA basketball season comes to a close, keep this in mind: you are witnessing history. Cinderella stories, historic programs, breakout teams and more will battle it out on the biggest stage of college basketball. One team will triumphantly cut down the nets in Arlington, Texas, and be proclaimed the 2014 NCAA basketball champions. Maybe that memory will stick with you forever.