Six Word Memoir

A fabulous art teacher at the local public high school where my daughters thrived adopted and adapted an idea, challenging her students to write and illustrate a six word memoir ... I's brevity intoxicates -- much like the elixer of conversational haiku. It's a deliciously complex and simple assignment for students, perhaps an even better project for adults. So, naturally, I thought I'd chew on it ...

A memoir ... Wikinonsense remarks that Gore Vidal, in his own memoir Palimpsest, gave a personal definition: "a memoir is how one remembers one's own life, while an autobiography is history, requiring research, dates, facts double-checked." ... Indeed. So, how do I remember my own life - in only six words?

Perhaps these six words begin to capture it -- "Loved life; found love; raised amazings"

Three duads. Yes, it's a word. Okay, if it's not, or rather hasn't been yet, it is now. Called it. Now focus on the duads, will you? Sheesh ...

Loved life -- I have. I am easily entertained, endlessly intrigued, and quickly captivated. I believe in finding ways to do what you love and finding ways to love what you do. Real and imagined, my blessings are many and my enjoyment of them is overflowing. I have indeed loved life. Found love -- I have. Found it from my parents. From my friends. From my wife. From my pets. From my Lord. From my community. I have indeed lived in love, and there's simply no better place to live. Raised amazings -- I have. The two sequels have already made a difference for many and they're each just getting started. They've helped. They've touched. They've inspired. They'll continue. They will be my lasting impact -- as I have raised amazings.

And in honor of Dee's artistic assignment, I've illustrated my six word memoir with a fitting photo from the archive.

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I sense that this may be a chew toy for me, so it moves from a Facebook note to a blog post, so I can maintain access to it ... and keep chewing on it.

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Option #2: An alternate approach to the assignment occurs to me -- more about the journey than the outcome ... What of, "Misfit toy thrives as supporting actor." It speaks to the awkward beginnings, the revelationary antidote to introversion, and my predisposition to being assistant coach, vice-president, her best friend, and right hand man. "Thrives" was almost "emerges" to focus more an the transition than the result -- but in truth, life's been so kind and I've been so blessed that anything intimating greater hardship or understating my enjoyment of it all seemed disingenuous. If all the world's a stage, as Shakespeare would say, then perhaps this six fits ...

Option #3: Another jumps to mind, more insightful into my psychologial nature ... What of, "Antisocial Hobbit fakes extroversion before escaping." Eh? Appropo to the moment as tonight I sit in a lovely hotel room, steeling my nerve for a cocktail hour and professional awards banquet -- gathering the strength and motivation to go and schmooze ... In my heart I know I will truly enjoy some of the people once I'm there and it will be good to accept the awards in person, but all the while my sould will be plotting my escape to recharge my batteries with the power of solitude. So, just how does a flaming introvert thrive as an accomplished PR person? See option 2 above ... :-)

Option #4: Okay, so I'm thoroughly entertained by this reflective process, which in itself produces another possibility ... What of, "Thoroughly entertained by my own reflection." It's double-meaning reflection reference is delightfully delicious ... and it begins to capture the self-fascination that often intrigues me into wandering about with the recesses of my mind and rolling in my own words like a dog on a dead thing. Yeah, that one was for you, Omar, my old canine companion!

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