the six word memoir

there is a (not so) current writing trend that is really pretty profound. short but profound. what it is is that authors, writers, and such are writing their whole memoir in just 6 words. some creative ones that i have found are...

Nobody cared, then they did. Why?
- Chuck Klosterman

70 years, few tears, hairy ears.
- Bill Querengesser

"For Sale: baby shoes, never worn"
-Ernest Hemingway

recently people have been putting pictures to their 6 word memoir and they have been incredible. here are some on this NPR LINK.

so i think it would be great if each one of us did one about ourself. perhaps post a photoshopped picture and 6 words, or just your 6 word memoir all on its own. either way, i think it would be so interesting to see each others lives in a simple 6 words.

HERE IS MINE:


..............LEFT BEHIND A LEFT BEHIND CHILD....................

alternates for mine:
always looking, never finding. feeling found.
lonely child found fame, lost self.


-stephen

so SO many good ones in the comments, everyone should read them all!
but few (there were tons) that really hit me personally are:

...everything changes; everything stays the same
...missing piece to a bigger picture
..."There is always hope. Rinse, Repeat"
...Looked before she leaped, missed.
....8,264 days, 22 hours, 47 min.
....Finding the sublime in the simple
...Starving artist with no artistic talent
...life solves all but one question
...finding my song--waiting to sing
...clay molded by too many hands.
...six words short of a memoir.

Comments

recognized,repented,and found eternal joy
Sarah Dragoon said…
awakened hope, then lost. still searching.
Anonymous said…
wanderer's life lost in world's words.
guard my dreams said…
life's reqiuem: adagio --> dissonance --> perfect harmony
Matt S said…
dreams on hold; maybe next year.
[Cr*] said…
imperfect but feeling lucky and blessed
Latrina said…
This is awesome. I enjoyed yours & your childhood picture is adorable. :)

I will be thinking of mine. I want to put more thought in to it.
switchkosterice said…
somehow remains faithful despite bothersome doubts
hannah said…
still waiting for it to start.

alternative:

wishing for peter pan to come.
Unknown said…
I guess for me.....
Slowly waking with a breathing heart.

or simply

Follower plus Punk equals Following Punk.
Anonymous said…
looking, finding, loosing... repeat it again.
innocence stolen, lost, seeming not being
aspen k. said…
caught between the past and present

or

everything changes; everything stays the same
Chris said…
you're too cute! ;)
I'm thinking...will comment back.
j.y said…
missing piece to a bigger picture
Anonymous said…
looking towards a better, brighter day
Jennifer said…
Lost in self. Found in Christ.
Anonymous said…
"blessed beyond belief. struggling against myself."

...that's really hard to think about, but that's what i've come up with in 2 minutes.
Scooby said…
Left the rat race, loving life.
Unknown said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Marc G. Adams said…
searched was found, was left lost.
X said…
There must be more than this.
Book of James said…
"There is always hope. Rinse, Repeat"
Anonymous said…
beautifully broken but still holding on.
Anonymous said…
Dreams are vivid, are they real?
Story of a Girl said…
searching for what i already found.

or

broken and misunderstood.lost, yet found.

** i would've posted photos but html cannot be accepted, so i don't know how to...

but your photo's adorable ! is that david cassidy on the guitar?!
Anonymous said…
if you really read these you notice a pattern in the different tones of nostalgia and longing for something better.

--It's Not About Making Me Happy.
Anonymous said…
Looked before she leaped, missed it.
Chris said…
shattered dreams and fractured reality - existing.

Die to self, hope in Christ.
Anonymous said…
alright, here are a few:

figuring out whats not figured out.

decide to find more than yourself.

breathe in, breathe out. it helps.

breathe, be calm, love; thats life.
Eve said…
Broken wings, still sing, defying everything.
Anonymous said…
six word memoir..

what was lost, has been restored.
Jake said…
An open book. Take a look.
Anonymous said…
money never solved the problem...act
Becky said…
Wondered.Thought.Broken.Prayed.Trusted.Saved
Anonymous said…
[url=http://imageshack.us][img=http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/4218/kids018pv5.jpg][/url]

whispered prayer, soul bared, heart repaired...
Bruce Merlin said…
what you find someone left behind

or

Why press on when hard pressed
Anonymous said…
Is that Shaun Cassidy on your guitar? haha.
Anyways,


Wishful singing often paints obscure pictures.
laura said…
forgive me, please never forget me.

or maybe....

looking forward to your latest posts =D
keshia winter said…
Dismantled. Reassembled. Each time someone stronger.

Or

Searching. Looking for something. What? Unsure.
Anonymous said…
stephen, if finding fame has caused you to lose yourself, why continue to do what you do? just wondering :)

mel
Unknown said…
I really like this assignment. I want to put some thought into mine. I have a few iedas.
My initial thought was:
"Indescribable with a mere six words"
but I figured there has to be some more creativity in me somewhere. :)
Angela said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Angela said…
"Once upon a time, I was."


And the NPR link is broken. There's a after it.
aletheia said…
Stephen, I worry about you. I am sorry that you feel left behind, and I wish I could help you. Please know that even though I do not know you, I care.

anyways... here's mine.

All I know is music. Love?
aletheia said…
alternate:

so happy, except for one thing.

selfish, unloving, broken, until baby shiloh.
Melanie said…
Life is short, seize the moment.

I have the best picture, but don't know how to post it. =(
M said…
I like it! Great Idea, Steven!

Lose yourself to Find Others
candace parker said…
I thought about this for a good 20 minutes, but I still haven't come up with one that fits perfectly.
but I did come up with a couple I like.

1. searching, but unsure where to look
2. never truly lived, let's change that

and I second what 'doubtisfaith' said in every way :)
Unknown said…
innocent at birth. guilty by death.
Anonymous said…
bumpy road, kissed toad, recovery mode!
guard my dreams said…
this is a really great idea.. you may want to consider participating in another program that NPR does... i did it for an English assignment, and it was actually very interesting to think about. you basically write a short essay on your most important belief of your life. search for I Believe on NPR.org
Anonymous said…
A sinner persecuted but forgiven, loved.


It was great to catch up the other day.

Peace,
Daniel+
Anonymous said…
puddles of forgotten memories make lakes.

or the ever cliche

sleeps to dream, dreams to live.
nicole rork said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
nicole rork said…
i'm always searching for the truth

or

tried to be selfless and failed



hang in there stephen, you're not alone.
Anonymous said…
persecuted, still standing,searching for truth
This comment has been removed by the author.
Simple convictions are far from me.
Hennie said…
Here's mine, telling the whole truth.

-- Hopeless dreamer whose dreams came true.
Anonymous said…
We did this in one of my writing classes a few weeks ago, mine is:

22 years old, 12 at heart.

-Crystal
M.Shannon said…
a profound mind, searching for time
amanda said…
learned: always look before you leap.
Noel. said…
God chases me , i run away.
and/or
God catches me, happy He did.
Anonymous said…
my flame flickers but never fails
N said…
Holding on to nothing but hope.
Emily Lauren said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
promptedbylove said…
Learning and doubting; imperfect but loved.
Unknown said…
8,264 days, 22 hours, 47 min.
Anonymous said…
Twilight ideals, hating that I'm awake.
- Letras - said…
lost and found. awake and learning.
Ma'ila Tamblyn said…
Finding the sublime in the simple
lauren writes said…
Pain ruins what you let it.
Anonymous said…
"Dismantle. Repair." j/k someone much wiser than myself wrote that (although I wish I had!)

"Pasionately loved lover yet single."

I have a 5hr drive to make tonight so if I think of anything better I'll let you know!
Anonymous said…
Oops, I can't count. Sorry.
"A single unwanted pasionately loved lover."

There we go :)
Anonymous said…
Wow this is a really beautiful idea... thanks for initiating such a creative outlet!

"Life of convenience... well, not theirs.."
finally found beauty in everything, satisfied
Anonymous said…
abandoned
adopted
aware
accepted
acknowledged
audacious
Anonymous said…
selfish
single
love
lost
faith
renewed

stephen, i'm lovin' the pic... lmao - shawn cassidy... hahahaha!!!
goodnightpunk said…
once that was routine now joy

or

one that was lost now found

or

Lord, please come and resurrect me.
Anonymous said…
so i think this is a really great idea, and i've been telling all my friends to write their own. interesting to read, and challenging to write. as of right now this is mine:

writing the words no one hears

will probably think of alternate ones. :-D
Anonymous said…
surrounded by beauty, consumed by passion

yeah there's another. :)
E. said…
Learned the most from the unexpected.
Raechel said…
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/laurewyn/sixwords.jpg

"Lost on path; blazing my own"
Anonymous said…
"Unsatisfied appetite; Hungry for True Love"
N said…
oh, i thought a few alternate for mine :)

- Always happy but never really satisfied.
- Looking up, unaware of holes ahead.
- Lost in a world she created.

:)
Anonymous said…
Okay, mine is going to sound dumb compared to everyone else's; I mean, it's hard to put together six words as your entire memoir. In fact, the first word that came out of me after I read this blog was "bla." :( So here goes my six-word memoir:

La Bla Ha Cha Spa Hurrah!

"La" because I'm a musician, "Bla" because I'm weird, "Ha" because I'm silly, "Cha" because I'm like a spicy pepper with a temper, "Spa" because I'm girly, and "Hurrah!" because I know Jesus.

Or, on a more serious note:

"Jesus and a Guitar. That's All."
Anonymous said…
Molded in my dad's image.
Nature.

Fated in my mom's upbringing.
Nurture.

and

Half my life in a blackout.

^I journalled that when I was 10 and a classmate was complaining he never got to see enough of his father because he was divorced from his mom..I only wished I had even met mine.

My life's dance; a melancholy romance.

Lost ideals, Aware moments, Found living.
Anonymous said…
I think we all agree that Stephen was such a cutie when he was a little kid!
Soft Skeleton. Dismantled. Repaired. Peace. Pain.
candace parker said…
I rethought mine in the shower today lol.
I came up with a "series of 6 word memoirs" let's say :)

I see beauty in the darkness
I hear beauty in the silence
Feel the beauty when I'm numb
Smell the beauty of the rain
Taste the beauty of the ordinary
The beauty I know is love
shara said…
When all else fails, just laugh.
Mandy said…
wow. this idea is amazing. i just read through other peoples comments and was amazed. i wish i was able to come up with something as clever. this is what i came up with....

know life. know struggles. still fighting.
six words short of a memoir.
Josh said…
Insatiable dreamer discontent with contentment. Alas.
Anonymous said…
Lost little girl on busy street-corner
Anonymous said…
Lost, befriended, betrayed then lost again
desiree said…
Struggled, found Him, recovered, found peace
The Silent Fewl said…
loved, multiplied, forsaken, alone, feel uunforgiven
Rover Fox said…
Raise me, oh my living God.
Latrina said…
Okay, so I finally thought of mine. Well, I came up with a few:

1. Wanting more yet afraid of change.
3. Her life has brought me happiness.
3. Music. Music. Music. Music. Music. Me.
4. Struggling to better myself. Almost there.
5. Fourteen years lost, then meeting him.
6. Loneliness sucks. Could use a hug.

But the one that describes me the most:

Found life in his blue eyes.
Anonymous said…
seeking the stability of broken glass.
Paper Tyger said…
im torn between
...soul born, soul lost, soul freed...
and
...observes through others, lives for Him...
taylor oehlke said…
lost...loved...waiting...
Anonymous said…
Realized own futility. Then smiled.
burnthesun said…
I Came, Saw, Got Blowed Up
chris said…
alone in crowds, scared and smiling.
Anonymous said…
I can't think of any good ones, but I'll go with these:

'Someday I'll Be Saturday Night. Maybe.'

'Imperfect perfectionist. Hopeful pessimist. Rarely kissed.'

'I'm cold. Put the heating on.'

http://www.shariblackvelvet.com/photography/howaboutieatyou.jpg
Anonymous said…
I'm walking backwards up the stairs
Anonymous said…
waiting for the world to act.
Anonymous said…
stolen from despair, returned to Owner
josiah said…
Silence is what King Midas creates.

or

First baby breath, killed Lady Macbeth
Anonymous said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said…
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/
breathofprose/sixwords.jpg
malinna said…
time is short, live it up!
oxygen.intake said…
artfully created, created art, reflecting creator.
Anonymous said…
Dismantle, Repair, Repeat. Control, Alt, Delete.

Another failure. Man, can't I think up something that's not funny???

Here's another alternative: Stephen is much smarter than me.
Unknown said…
"Non-religious: faithless yet hopeful, musical devotion."

or maybe...

"Lost God; Found salvation [or hope/faith] in music."

Insert any similar word in place of "salvation" and you can use it that way. It's the only steady thing in my life and I am completely devoted to it.

The "Non-" is probably cheating a bit though eh?
Unknown said…
Just wanted to add this bit since I am tired from the show tonight (which was amazing as always) and forgot to say it...

I chose to use the word "salvation" because music saves my life every day and without it, I would be lost.

Stephen, tonight's show really lifted my spirits. Thank you for that. :)
Anonymous said…
deserved to be forgotten. never was.
or
called out of darkness. returned, rescued.
or
clay molded by too many hands.
Anonymous said…
chosen. turn and set your journey.
Anonymous said…
Music is my only requited lover.
Anonymous said…
living in the scene but unseen
Anonymous said…
hopelessly in love with hopeless love.
Unknown said…
running from neverland, seeing the truth.
Anonymous said…
A passenger, my car, road of life.

Naturally it all comes together sometimes.

Traveling, resting, going home, repeating; life.

Lost in confusion of my own language.

Not ready to understand, only be.

(That's all I have for now).
Anonymous said…
lookin forward, never back. always searching
Ang said…
Can't do this alone. Need you.
Anonymous said…
this took a lot of thought, but i finally came up with a couple...
didnt know what to look for
or
never could see, something was missing
Unknown said…
today is my first ever birthday

alternative

leaving yesterday becoming who I am

not to please anyone but God

forgetting used attachment, taking new risk

weaknesses and strengths, I am yours

realize I am weak, needing help
Liz said…
disconnected; trying to find Him again.
Anonymous said…
never grew out of growing up.
Anonymous said…
my place: between waking and sleeping
Anonymous said…
Something breaking slowly on the mend.



You inspire me.
Anonymous said…
finding my song--waiting to sing.
josiah said…
Here's another one:

Starving artist with no artistic talent
Liz said…
i thought of another one.

"we all need a reason to believe."
-JEss- said…
life solves all but one question

why is never itself a question

tears shed leaves a stained scar
Chris Kettleson said…
Six Words To Remember Me By.
Anonymous said…
constantly in awe of the world

young, full of life, and ready
here is another attempt.

Lost sheep, found the way home
Anonymous said…
looking for happiness. fear of failure.
Anonymous said…
Her Sorrow is an Eternal Silence.
Anonymous said…
A lot to say, no time.
Monica said…
Cynicism turned inward, always fearing self.
Anonymous said…
stumbling, searching, wandering, clueless; still hopeful
Anonymous said…
Wishing to be found, always lost.

Hopeless to self, hopeful for others.
The Seeker. said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said…
Pondering the impossible. Living the remarkable.
Melissa Lopez said…
I want more than this, now.
Anonymous said…
open arms. open heart. my demise
Anonymous said…
he will be my one regret.
Kate said…
I know I'm way late on this, but...

Not all who search are lost.

Or.

Desmond Hume will be my constant :)
Anonymous said…
Rarely noticed, yet there, watching, envious.

Hope, killed, one time too many.

Unwanted, thrown away, replaced by emptyness.

Pictures fill the space of time.

Wandering circles, yet never the same.

Dreams were lost, returning once again.

At least I'm surviving... I think?

---
You were SO cute when you were little! :D Your memoir's awesome.
Anonymous said…
Thought of a few more.

Always searching... there's nothing but dust.

Dusty footprints. Am alone, yet wasn't.

You'll come if needed? ..prove it.
Anonymous said…
I JUST KNOW JESUS IS THE WAY!
Kena said…
Teenage cliche searching for something original.
Wames Jagner said…
Find myself, live for someone else...

or...

Waiting for praise, Lonely most days

im thinking about a couple others...
Anonymous said…
The best friend you never knew.
Carmen Yvette said…
Billy Jean is not my lover...
Anonymous said…
been struck down, but, not destoyed.
The Seeker. said…
Little girl lost, young adult found.
Anonymous said…
I can only be who I am.
aletheia said…
God is dead: I am free
Anonymous said…
from the new fray song, but i think these six words are very powerful, at least to my life:

"Lost and insecure, you found me"
Dustywynn said…
Always searching, brought back to one
Anonymous said…
joint decision. single blamed. permanent damage?
Anonymous said…
Sometimes sleep to escape broken reality
Haylee said…
Losing hope. Living through other's triumphs.
Unknown said…
I fall down. Heart still beating.
Kena said…
My life is an acquired taste.
Anonymous said…
Falling down, rising up. Again, again.
Darrell Prasad said…
killing clouds with my air rifle

i suppose i often like to use clouds as a metaphor for dreams and aspirations...
avigayil said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
avigayil said…
leaped first, fell flat, got up
or
never looked, leaped carelessly, fell flat
or
running towards nothing in wrong direction
or
dancing, screaming, singing; nothing to celebrate
or
jumping for joy that never existed
or
too old to act my age

i could go on for hours, this is so fun!
Anonymous said…
dreams so big they become walls

lover turned pretender with good intentions
Anonymous said…
awkward self tries fitting into conformity

or

back then we were only children.
Angie's Blog said…
Not just another life without reason.

Was Weak. Found Faith. Grew Strong.

--Angie
Anonymous said…
happiness is a choice. choose wisely.
Anonymous said…
trying to find her mr. darcy
alxandROAR said…
It doesn't matter until it does.
erika said…
Fast forward through life. Rewind. Remember.

or

A painful past, a better understanding.
Just wanted to save the world.
Anonymous said…
always searching for that special something
Random Rambler said…
Finding love, finding life in Him.

Or

Clay Pot; God's strength in Weakness
Lena said…
Eternally going up the down escalator.
Angela said…
Nicest anarchist with (a) streak for consistency.
Anonymous said…
Always pretending, she never met herself.
Crystal said…
broken by people. healed by God.
Eden-Joy said…
Restraining fear, nothing more found here

or...

Self-loathing is quaint, never knowing restraint

or....

My polished stone will be better

or...

Chop onions if you can't cry

I could go on forever
Hayden Brown said…
I know it's been a while since this was posted, but the other day we were assigned to write one of these in relation to our AP english class (our experience, advice or warnings to upcoming students, etc). Here's what I came up with:

Remain resolute - City on a Hill.

Even though it was written specifically for the class, I think that it applies to so much more, and I try to follow this advice every day.

If you've never read it before, look up John Winthrop's "A City upon a Hill" speech, as that's what this is based around. That speech was (I think!) based off of Matthew 5:14, so it can also be read in relation to that as well :)
KariAnn said…
I'm so very late on commenting this, but it intrigued me.
This came to me in a dream, a man was singing it. I don't think he actually exists, but it stuck with me.

"Break the nights; unbreak my soul."
This comment has been removed by the author.
"Change the World, at least Someones"
Char. said…
hearts held together with sticky tape
Anonymous said…
Robbed; realized things doesn’t equal happiness
Melody C. said…
I ran, God followed. Passionate pursuit.

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