12/27/2023 0 Comments My life in six wordsThis month’s feature story by Malia Jacobson notes one upside to this struggle: the opportunity to build a wellspring of resilience that will benefit all families and learners well beyond the pandemic. While the pandemic makes this year exceedingly challenging for every family navigating through circumstances well beyond their control, those with children who have special needs or learning differences are challenged significantly to replace in-person services and therapies for their children - not to mention the familiarity, comfort and respite those learning supports provide. “The ultramarathon we never trained for.”Įach October, ParentMap produces an “Every Child”-themed magazine issue and resource fair event to embrace and support the developmental and educational journeys of children of all abilities. With no shortage of fodder to inspire the exercise, I invited six-word observations from fellow ParentMap editors and contributors. If nothing else, this pandemic has given rise to some of our toughest moments - as individuals, as families, as communities both small and global. The most memorable of these, he says, bubble forth from our toughest and most joyous experiences. Since 2006, Larry Smith of The New York Times has been challenging readers to distill their lives in six words, a one-liner he calls the six-word memoir. W.“Most complicated school year in history.” I might even send a fancy ribbon to the top three I receive. 31, and it’s possible I will write about the best ones I receive. Now, after all of these examples, do you think you could do it? Can you tell your life story in exactly six words? If so, why don’t you give it a try: Send your “story” to me along with your name, address, phone number and age. There are also many good ones there, like this: “Afternoon naps are my happy hour” and “Not finished with life’s marathon yet” and this one, which I have no idea what it means: “Honi soit qui mal y pense.” It’s my favorite for two reasons … first, it is one that captures THE one highlight of your life, and second, it’s where you can find my own entry: “Wanted to write, so I did.” Then there is my favorite category - My Life Overall. Two brothers now.”Īnd this one: Please God, let me be adopted.” Here’s one from the Siblings category: “Three brothers. Within the category of The Trip That Changed My Life is this one: “Left first husband and found myself.”įrom the same category: “Walking down the aisle, life changed.” Under the category of Holiday Traditions, there is this: “Watching your grandchildren play with mine.”Īnother from the same category: “Before the cross, He is risen!”įrom the category of The Best Advice I’ve Given or Gotten, there is this: “Everything takes longer than you think.”Īnd from the same category: “Read, study and follow the Bible.” Want a few more examples? These range from the sad to the humorous to the thoughtful … The magazine’s website (offers a myriad of categories for you to add your six-word stories. And while he sat on the porch of his Key West home surrounded by his six-toed cats, he came up with this … “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”Īnd not as long ago, AARP Magazine got in on the challenge. Many years ago, the great writer Ernest Hemingway was challenged to tell a story using just six words. SMITH Magazine isn’t the only one to get in on the act of six-word stories. Here’s another from Beverly Levine of Nova Scotia: “Defined at 21. Here’s one from Arnold Simon of Atlanta, who wrote to SMITH Magazine, “Slow learner: Life Began at 50.” It’s also a poor example, because it’s more of a prediction than a life story. Last week, in an online comment on the column I wrote for this space (“What comes after your comma?”), someone with the tag “Anonymous” wrote, “Future pesky fly on the wall.” This is a good example, because it’s six words. I’m sure, having the inquisitive mind that you do, you’d like to have some examples of six-word life stories. So many, in fact, Smith was able to put the collection of six-word life stories into a book - “Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous & Obscure” - and he expects it to be the first in a series. It’s the ultimate in short-story writing.Īccording to SMITH Magazine, an online community founded by Larry Smith for the purpose of personal storytelling, the following challenge was posed to those who frequent the website (Can you tell your life story in six words? If you think writing the story of your life is difficult, an autobiography if you will, try doing it in exactly six words - no more, no less.
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