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HeartWood
A blog about cultivating
creativity, connection and contentment
wherever you are

Your Life, Briefly

3/14/2018

10 Comments

 
​A few weeks ago, I issued a challenge: pick one important lesson learned in each decade of your life. If that assignment seemed too huge, here's something much smaller to try: a six-word memoir. The idea isn't to encapsulate your entire existence in a handful of words, but to capture a micro-slice or express a tiny truth.
​The concept has been floating around for more than a decade, ever since Larry Smith, founder of SMITH Magazine, asked readers to describe their lives in exactly six words.
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​Responses poured in, giving rise to the Six-Word Memoir project. To date, more than one million of the mini-memoirs have been published on the Six Word Memoirs website, and the project has been featured in hundreds of media outlets, including NPR and The New Yorker. 

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​​The phenomenon has spawned a series of books (some with six-word titles, natch), including It All Changed in an Instant, Not Quite What I Was Planning, I Can't Keep My Own Secrets (Six-Word Memoirs by teens), and Oy! Only Six? Why Not More? (Six-Word Memoirs on Jewish life). 

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​​There's a Six-Word Memoirs card game, and live Six-Word Memoir "slams" are held at locations around the world.

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​​For inspiration, you can check out the vast and ever-changing assortment of little life stories on the project website. You can browse through topics, such as Life, Love, Advice, Happiness, Bosses, Food, or search by keyword.

​A recent visit turned up such gems as:
 
Life: A backflip down the stairs, by Abarooni
 
Baking bread helps heal broken hearts, by L2L3
 
Even pinhole light defeats the night, by BanjoDan
 
Water life; grow what is unexpected, by Poetreebook
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​​Of course I had to try writing my own. Some of the ones I came up with are too personal to share (!), but here are a few that made it past my internal censor:

​Weighing "Do better" against "Good enough."
 
48 years motherless. Miss her still.
 
Haunted by dreams of motorcycling calamities.
 
Unable to resist chocolate, beer, writing.
 
Thinking these up instead of meditating.
 
Finally realized introversion's not a fault.
 
Still limber at 69. Thanks, yoga!
 
Now it's your turn. You may be surprised what you come up with. I was!
10 Comments
Susan Stec link
3/14/2018 05:33:09 pm

Here’s what popped with me:

Pushing shadows into the light
Hanging laundry over the front banister
Hidden pain benieth a sensual smile
Awakening dreams through myths and legends
Borrowed strength from a Fall sunset
Memories of laughter disguise lost years



Reply
Nan
3/14/2018 05:35:03 pm

Wow, these are powerful, Susan.

Reply
Janet Glaser link
3/15/2018 12:49:16 pm

6 word memoirs--who knew? I've seen 6 word flash fiction. Very clever. Thanks for opening my eyes to these. I'll have to give this exercise some thought.

Reply
Nan
3/15/2018 07:52:15 pm

Can't wait to see what you come up with!

Reply
Tonya Howe
3/16/2018 07:46:59 am

This is what just popped into my head,but i want to write more of them later. What fun! :

Celebrate cultures, celebrate people, celebrate life

Reply
Nan
3/16/2018 07:37:31 pm

I really love this, Tonya. It's so you.

Reply
Katherine Myers
4/15/2018 10:51:28 am

Still thinking in teacher mode after years of retirement, I can't help but think this would make a fantastic assignment for students. Mine for today would be: Counting blessings is not always easy. OR how about: Accepting change is part of life. OR Remembering to breathe is absolutely essential!
(note to Nancy: I'm really fine, I just need to stop and take a break once in awhile!)

Reply
Nan
4/16/2018 07:26:33 am

Good ones, Kay. We could all use those as our mantras!

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the lost ways book link
11/10/2019 11:59:58 pm

You will learn more about life skills which were used by our ancestors to adapt to such worse situations than nowadays. If you read many history books, you’ll at least know what our ancestors had suffered at that time

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    Nan Sanders Pokerwinski, a former journalist, writes memoir and personal essays, makes collages and likes to play outside. She lives in West Michigan with her husband, Ray.

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