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...
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I would visit the far stretches of the universe and see, without fear, remorse, or second-guessing, what everyone else is missing.
twitter: to love unconditionally, and without fear
fb: to write, not just for myself, but also for the world.
i'd tell that certain guy how i feel about him.
i'd apply to my dream schools that i cannot afford.
i'd get my family out of debt so we don't have to move out of the house i've lived in my whole life.
Brilliant question. Lately I've been thinking about how sometimes I wish I could go back in time and warn myself about choices I'll end up making in the future. But then I'd lose that teaching moment, and I would have forgotten why I wanted to go back in the first place. All we have is here and now, and all the talents God has given us to try for what we want, even with potential failure.
P.S I should be studying, but the question stole my mind away. Thank you for instigating procrastination on my part;)
peace.
In a way I like the possibility of failure, it makes success that much sweeter. I'm not saying that I love the road it takes to get there, because I hate it 95% of the time, but knowing that I accomplished something when I could fail is an amazing feeling.
Of course...I'd be lying if I said there wasn't anything. I'm going to go with: give my heart to someone, get in and rock the University of Washington's Clinical Psychology graduate program, and fix multiple problems in the world.
And I'd convince the world to become vegan and stop abusing/using/eating animals.
And ask a cute guy (who would of course then be vegan) to be my boyfriend.
There are other things I'd do but I don't know how - such as changing the entire world, getting rid of the recession, making sure everyone on low (or no) income had enough to survive etc, stopping everything that's cruel to anyone or anything.
Thanks for posting this question. It's something I've been thinking about a lot lately, but have been to afraid to confront directly because I was afraid to face the answer.
Now that we've all shared, it's your turn. What would you do?
Some of the first things that I thought of were curing different diseases (including my own), protect the children in the world from having to suffer, etc. The only reason I would NOT wish to correct those things as a whole is because I believe that there's a purpose to everything in this world - even suffering. There must be opposition in all things - if I didn't feel pain I wouldn't know how to comfort those who suffer...if there weren't opportunities to serve others nobody would ever serve...but that's just the functionalist in me.
Like I said on Twitter, I will stick with the same answer that I've had since I was very young. I would cure my mom's kidney disease. She's done so much good in this world and one of the best things I could ever do, if I had the ability, would be to cure her so she could finally feel healthy and normal again. All my life she's been in and out of the hospital and suffered greatly. I've never heard her complain though. I think it's about time she caught a break. What a wonderful accomplishment it would be to have her healthy again! :-)
2. Write a book.
3. Try to meet Anberlin. ;)
- write a book of utterly profound quotes
- learn to swim / fail=drown ;)
- go back to school - maybe medicine - genomics/personalized medicine is a hot topic
Now it's your turn...what would you do Stephen?
Thanks for this question. I'd like to know your answer as well. :)
When I saw this question again on twitter I thought 'I'd finally be able to really help people the way I want to.' and then I realized that if I knew I couldn't fail I'd stop worrying about my future. I'd know whatever choice I made would be the right one. I wouldn't be so afraid. Too often I let fear hold me back.
It's a really great question. So many thoughts running through my head now. :) Thanks for sharing.
i would buy my boyfriend and i a house for when we are married with his own studio so we could make music and he can to all that technical recording stuff he loves
i would start dancing again
i would restore my sisters faith in Christ
i would write a book and hope that people would be influenced to follow there desires
i would not be judgmental
i would never lie
i would finish everything that i started.
I would take 18 hours every semester and every class I could over the summers, simultaneously working my ass off to get money to pay for my apartment. After passing all those classes, I'd get a good solid Gen Studies degree, and then proceed to figure out what the hell I'm doing in life.
I ... Read Morewould write several books throughout life that would mean something to someone, make someone see something in a completely new and different way. I'd contact someone, give them some song lyrics, and watch them hit the radio on Top 20 Hits.
I wouldn't be afraid. I wouldn't worry. I wouldn't be scared.
I still pray that the Lord would heal me one day, but if not, at least I'll be healed in heaven!
I highly doubt there will be any of those activities in heaven though
And furnish it with love
Grow apple trees and honey bees
And snow-white turtle doves.
I'd like to teach the world to sing
In perfect harmony
I'd like to hold it in my arms
And keep it company.
I'd like to see the world for once
All standing hand in hand
And hear them echo through the hills
"All peace throughout the land."
(That's the song I hear)
I'd like to teach the world to sing
(That the world sings today)
In perfect harmony.
This song makes me thirsty...
The more I think about it...and the things I would do....the things that never seemed possible....actually could become a reality.
So maybe it's not about what you would do if you knew you would not fail. Maybe it's about starting toward the goal as if you believe that already.
but right now, per what's on my mind a lot lately:
I would confess my love to the boy I love dearly, and not be afraid of being vulnerable for him, of loving him totally.
I would sing for all the world, and bring healing and hope through my voice.
same with my writing.^
but really, life would lose so much of its meaning if failure didn't exist. before we can rise with Christ, we must first fall down.
before there can be Eternal Life, we must first pass through the Veil of Death.
if we do not taste of adversity and suffering, how could we ever have strength, courage, compassion, understanding? knowing sorrow gives depth and meaning to our joy, allows us to experience joy.
:)
For some reason, this question doesn't sit well with me and it never has. It seems just a bit selfish in my opinion...then again, I already know that I am looking too hard into something that should be answered all too easily.
I can't help but ask questions like what I stated before. If you could write a book, is there still the chance that you didn't promote it right and no one comes to read it? What if you were able to gain fame but in the process, lose your true values and roots? What if the world isn't ready to change even though you are? What if...I don't know...this question just appears too broad for me to answer properly...if that makes any sense...
again, I'm looking too far into the subject.
But, nevertheless, if it's not too much trouble, it would be nice if I could hear your opinion. What is it that you would do, Stephen?
I'd completely abolish hate & cruelty.
If I knew I could not fail, I would not judge others or hurt anyone else's feelings. I would go to California and become an actor and be apart of something amazing. Most of all, I would love myself and finally be comfortable with who I am.
I would want to succeed.
i would attempt to find a cure for cancer
also...
join a band good enough to go on tour with anberlin :]
1. Find my future husband and get married.
2. Go on tour with Anberlin...or Anchor&braille...where I would meet you, you would then ask me for my number but I would refuse, at first. After the 3 time I give it to you and our first date would be at a park and we would be having a picnic under a tree surrounded by humming birds....fast forward 2 years. Were snorkling in Hawaii when we stumble upon a treasure chest. I open it to find the ring. And thus fulfill number 1.
Hey I can't fail...
love..
live.
go on a whole tour with a band, not as a performer. but as a fan.
.I would walk/swim (like through oceans when I'm on my way to Australia...) everywhere.
.I would be the Proverbs 31 woman.
.I would go back to school.
.I would spread the gospel to every ear on earth.
If I knew I couldn't fail, I'd want to do something to change just one person's life before I die. Except, interestingly enough; that's one of the hardest things to accomplish.
But, I've given it a lot of thought lately.
And I would do anything in this world to be successful. I wouldn't be afraid to be myself. I would do everything I could to make something of myself. I would never give up on the people that walked into my life. I guess what I'm saying is, I would just be myself no matter whose around.
i continually bring this question to the front of my mind, and i am only beginning on the journey to an answer.
You have to avoid so many more products than most vegan people do. All of the above products include animals.
If you claim to be vegan, I almost can guarantee that you use animal products or biproducts in your life somewhere, so doesn't that make you a hypocrit?
I wish we could all do certain things, but being a vegan is unhealthy if you don't take supplements (that normally also have animal parts used in their manufacturing).
But like people before me have said, part of life is not knowing if you'll succeed. It's going after things anyways and overcoming the fear of failure.