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In Other Words: Six Word Memoirs Reveal True Us
By Chuck Keller
As the story goes, someone challenged Earnest Hemingway, a master of brevity, to write a short story in six words. His response – “For sale: baby shoes, never worn” – started a bit of a trend. There is now a website that presents that same challenge. They have published millions online and have produced a few books.
Botto Financial Planning & Advisory | website | (859) 466-2336 The first is titled Not Quite What I Was Planning, a wonderful examination and revelation of life. They are thoughtful, funny, reflective, philosophical, and irreverent and cover all of the phases of being human. I used it in class as a summary technique. It forced students to be concise and it provided insight to what they understood. It can be a bit challenging at first because it’s muscle you haven’t flexed before. But once you get the hang of it, you can’t stop. Recently, the New York Times ran a piece where they asked readers to express the pandemic in six words. I shared it and asked people to share their six word summaries or memoirs of the pandemic to date. Here are a few of their responses; |
Italian wine, cheese, and pajamas rule!
Avoid the news, seek out nature.
Isolated and yet even more connected.
Be like Dory. Just keep swimming.
Boy, do I miss my family.
Introverts excel at self isolation.
Good thing I like my own company.
I learned who was truly selfless.
Dogs have never been more important.
Thank goodness the outdoors is still open.
Distanced and masked; unwitting Zoom expert.
Working from home – the new normal.
Sometimes I crave human touch.
Will I have a business tomorrow?
People rise to the occasions. Or don’t.
Get up. Go Work. Dead streets.
Wish I could change the world.
Just one more slice of cheese.
What the heck day is it?
I’ve never been so married.
I am quarantine quarreling with myself.
Wearing a mask isn’t that hard.
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And here are my six word takes on the pandemic:
Got this. Already walked through fire.
Accept change – it’s that or die.
It’s just right now, not forever.
These brief observations offer some insight as they capture the moment. Now it’s your turn.
This is a fun activity to do with friends, family, and co-workers. I’d like to read your six word take on the pandemic.