They say a picture is worth a thousand words. But, what about six? Does an image exist that could with striking poignancy and precision illustrate that which can be so concisely conveyed in a mere half dozen words? I’m not convinced it can.

The story of the six word memoir begins with, Earnest Hemingway, who in the 1920s was challenged to craft a story out of only six words. The literary genius responded to this challenge with, “For Sale: Baby Shoes, never worn.” In these achingly profound six words, Hemingway proved that both the depth and complication of the human condition could be exposed through the extraordinary power of brevity.
Seven decades later the online literary magazine, SMITH brought the concept of the power of few words back by making a request for writers to send in six words that summarized their life.

SMITH was inundated with entries from men women and children of all walks of life, each with their own unique story to tell. These stories were eventually compiled in a groundbreaking and incredibly piercing book titled, Not Quite What I Was Planning.

Composed primarily of the words of unpublished writers, the book is also speckled with the six word memoirs of some of the greatest authors and philosophers of our time.
What it is that makes these few words so compelling? Why is it that when people caught wind of this project is spread like wildfire? What inspires us to count, rearrange and assess until we too have summed up our life experience in six measly words?

The power of the six word memoir lies in it’s ability to step passed our overly analytical, verbose society and take a directly minimal approach to strike right to the heart of that which unites us while simultaneously illuminating our individuality.

Six words leave no room for fluff. With six words there is no flowery prose. Nowhere within six words is there room for any sort of descriptive imagery, and it is impossible to hide a deeper meaning in a conglomeration of words that barely stretch half a page. The sheer honesty and precision demanded forces the holder of the pen to strip down the layers and discover the raw, unembellished words that define. It not surprising to note that that which defines us is more commonly in line with that which defines all of humanity.

Love and Loss, Triumph and Failure, Pain and pleasure. Mistakes made and lessons learned. We may not all travel the same road, but we all make similar stops on our way to our destination. We all seek the same things. We yearn for love and crave acceptance. We’ve made mistakes and covet forgiveness. In the tiny window, that is a six-word memoir we can see a reflection of ourselves in someone else, and thus come to term with the fact that our thoughts and feelings are not anomalies.

However, why we may be able to catch a glimpse of ourselves in every six-word memoir, and themes parallel the human condition, these memoirs are as unique as the fingerprint left on the pen they were written with. The tone of the entries varies; some express regret while others contentment. Humor is plentiful, yet so is heartbreak. Contrast the pointedly sarcastic, “Catholic school backfired. Sin is in!” to the achingly heartbroken; “I still make coffee for two.” The stories told shared events, “Bad brakes discovered at high speed.” And people, “Mom died. Dad screwed us over.” Phobias “Afraid of becoming my mother.” And falters, “My reach always extends my grasp.” All are uniquely singular to the author and his or her own personal journey.

When asked to write their own six word memoir, the BHS population came out with a plethora of memoirs that exemplified insight and intellect far beyond their teenage years, and also showcased the expected teenage humor and consternation.

Everyone has a story to tell.
So share.
One life. Six words. What’s yours?