Six Words, No More, No Less

Image by 92YTribeca via Flickr

Every week I seem to have an excuse as to why I never got around to writing Monday’s blog, so hmmm what’s mine this week? Other than exhausted from staying up most of the weekend on Irene watch which threw the household and me into a tizzy not to mention total disorder, I don’t have one.

However, clearly interest in this mental exercise has waned.  I’m lucky if I get one contribution a week these days!  However, having said that, I am very pleased by the one I did receive  because I know it comes from someone who can and does write articulately and am hoping to receive some more from that reader.

Last week I asked for work-related Six Word Memoirs.

I’m off the couch, life blooms – Rachel

 

I only work for the money – me

And as weekly inspiration here are some Six Word Memoirs from Writers Famous & Obscure by the eponymous book:

Xenophile escapist tumbleweed globetrots, finds self. – Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli

The shit invariably hits the fan – Ashleva Nielsen

Blogging is easy. Writing is hard. – Jennifer Shreve

Quit Uni, have baby, now bored – Sumantha Ng

I fell in love with Charlie – Kristine Allouchery

And he nerded as never before. – Jon Thysell

Well my least favorite weekend of the year is upon us.  Labor Day weekend never held any joy for me as it signals the end of summer.  I’m sure there are Mommies everywhere thankful that soon the daily structure of a school day will bring some order back into their households.  But for me, I just hate to think that the carefree, sun-filled days of July and August are coming to an end.  Honestly you’d think I was going back to school or at least to a 9-5 office job and neither of those are true, so I guess these are residual feelings left over from childhood.

Next Monday is the holiday and if you’re all not hot dogging or beaching it up, please send me your thoughts in six words, no more, no less.

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Monday Is A Day Late Again – 6 Words!

Could this be the Holy Grail?

See how easy it is to talk and think in six words or less?  And if only all Mondays were a day late just think how much better the weekend would be.  So I did receive one reply last week to my request that we do a Six Word Memoir on some aspect of our work life, which I’m going to publish today.  And then I went to the source, the Holy Grail of Six Word Memoirs – Smith Magazine, which is an online magazine and the home of the Six Word Memoir.  Right now and for the next few days the magazine is running a contest.  This time it is on Lessons  I learned at work.  You should go and read some, they are great and of course an inspiration.  I want to try this work theme again.  I know many of my readers do not have 9-5 jobs and I say Hurray hurray!!! But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t some aspect to our work life or lack thereof that couldn’t be put into six words.  Won’t you please try?

Very tired, need a vacation…NOW! – Lorraine

Grow up, show up, shut up – Me

Work? Who me? Get real man! – Anonymous

Less hours, less money, more fun – Me

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Related articles

• Six Word Memoir Monday – Late AGAIN! (pbenjay.wordpress.com)

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Six Word Memoirs By Writers Famous & Obscure

Image via Wikipedia

“When Ernest Hemingway famously wrote, “For Sale: baby shoes, never worn”, he proved that an entire story can be told using a half-dozen words.  When the online storytelling magazine SMITH asked readers to submit six word memoirs, they proved a whole, real life can be told this way too.  The results are fascinating, hilarious, shocking, and moving.

From small sages of bittersweet romance (“Found true love, married someone else”) to proud achievements and stinging regrets (“After Harvard, had baby with crackhead”) these terse true tales relate the diversity of human experience in tasty bite-size pieces.”  This is an excerpt from the inside cover of the book, NOT QUITE WHAT I WAS PLANNING Six Word Memoirs By Writers Famous & Obscure.

I thought perhaps a little inspiration/explanation might spur some readers to participate in the Six Word Memoir challenge.  Each Monday, I try to post Six Word Memoirs sent in by readers of this blog.  I also post 5 or 6 quotes from the above-referenced book.  This Six Word Memoir “thing” is really quite popular.  There are gatherings around the country where people present their own six word memoir similar to a poetry slam.  There have been articles in the New Yorker magazine and today (well right now it IS after midnight) there is a great article on the front page of the Business section of The New York Times!!! Jump on the bandwagon and send your six words.

Creative and destructive in many ways – Meghan DeRoma

I sell hamburgers and french fries – Richard Maurer

Coffee junkie journalist seeks trendy nerd – Jackie Olson

Fight. like hell. for. the. living – Susie Bright

On her birthday, my life began – Lisa Parrack

A door closed, proverbial window opened – Me

Another crossroads, which way to go?? - Me

I look forward to hearing from some of you.  I know it’s summer but really!!!

Related articles

• Bucks: Summing Up Your Job in Just Six Words (bucks.blogs.nytimes.com)

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Six Word Memoir Monday – Late AGAIN!

Sand Dollar

I think it’s because it’s summer.  You know those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer.  My brain must be on vacation, I’m not able to keep on schedule.  However, I don’t receive any irate emails asking me why I have abandoned the Six Word Memoir Project, and this week I received only one reader contribution – SOOOOOoooo I’m thinking it’s like everyone else is on vacation too!

Thanks to Gail, we have the following:

Hot Town Summer in the City – Gail

Searching the shore for sand dollars – Me

Kitchen heat, I am lobster meat – Me

In spite of lack of reader response, I shall endeavor to go forward -  now doesn’t that sound lofty?  And try to stay on track.

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So What’s Happened To Six Word Memoir Monday?

The High Line

Well I suppose the answer lies within me, since it’s my blog.  The Fourth of July holiday falling on a Monday was one problem, I didn’t have “the book” with me for the last couple of weeks and maybe we need a great, hot, sweet, summer theme.  Duh, that’s it!  We are halfway through the summer, it’s time to pay tribute to this wonderful time of the year.

Yes! it’s too hot some days.  Yes! It’s humid and you feel sticky all over. Yes, even though it’s vacation time, there are days when you are happy to be working in an air-condtioned office.  Yes, the traffic getting out of the City on a Friday night is wretched and yes the beaches are crowded.  BUT, the days are long and dining al fresco can be a nightly event.  The sun comes up so early JUST so we can enjoy another summer day to the fullest.

Sooooo…I would love to hear from you dear readers.  Summer is or means what to you?  Summer brings on….?  Memories from summers past, whatever – send it in and I will publish it next week.

And for inspiration, I visited the Smith Magazine  website to see if I could find some Six Word Memoirs relating to summer and post them for your review.

Sultry summer, sundresses, sandals and shades -  notjustagirlintheworld

Cicadas’  trilling making summer aurally thrilling -  Level1

I’m chasing summer downhill, no brakes -  lisamoans

Picture perfect summer High Line sunset – notjustagirlintheworld

And from yours truly

Fireflies, flashlights of a summer night – Me

The scent of low tide lingers – Me

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Six Word Memoir Monday is BACK!!!

Sweet & Smooth Strawberry Ice Cream

Ok, so it never really went away BUT I’m just so excited that I have a few contributions from readers and that always makes blue Mondays, happy Mondays.

Wind can stop any time now – Lorraine

I used to pinch, now pluck – Susan Celtic Lady

I believe in love, that’s all – Heather

Count down, how many more days? – Susan Celtic Lady

Sweet, seductive, slippery, sexy – ice cream – Me

And as I like to continue to inspire response from you all, here are some Six Word Memoirs from “the book”.  The Six Word Memoirs in this book are written by writers, famous and obscure, which category would you like to be in?

Nothing profound, I just sat around – Daniel Rosenburg

Found true love, married someone else – Bjorn Stromberg

Others left early: he continued looking – Anthony Swoffurd

Shy Jersey kid, overcompensating ever since – Ariel Kaminer

Dad died, mom crazy, me, too. – Moby

After reading that last one, it is the perfect segué to what is the obvious theme for next Monday.  Father’s Day is Sunday and I think it would be the perfect time to express our thoughts, feelings, love and emotions around our Dad, Father, Poppy – whatever you call him, please share with us some thing, some memory, some something about Dad.  We will publish them all next Monday.

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“Monday, Monday”

Not Quite What I Was Planning

Mondays like Fridays around here are getting short shrift:  Fotos don’t appear till sometime over the weekend, readers don’t send in Six Word Memoirs anymore except for maybe one here and there.  What’s a girl to do?

Perhaps the Mamas and the Papas had the answer all along!

Monday Monday, so good to me,
Monday Monday, it was all I hoped it would be
Oh Monday morning, Monday morning couldn’t guarantee
That Monday evening you would still be here with me.

Monday Monday, can’t trust that day,
Monday Monday, sometimes it just turns out that way
Oh Monday morning, you gave me no warning of what was to be
Oh Monday Monday, how yould cou leave and not take me.

Every other day, every other day,
Every other day of the week is fine, yeah
But whenever Monday comes, but whenever Monday comes
You can find me cryin’ all of the time

Monday Monday, so good to me,
Monday Monday, it was all I hoped it would be
Oh Monday morning, Monday morning couldn’t guarantee
That Monday evening you would still be here with me.

Every other day, every other day,
Every other day of the week is fine, yeah
But whenever Monday comes, but whenever Monday comes
You can find me cryin’ all of the time

Monday Monday, …

Could we possibly have more rain? – Susan Celtic Lady

Loving my Kindle and reading more – Heather

Seventeen days is not a lifetime - Me

Prefer cooking for two these days – Heather

Serving two masters is a bitch - Me

And from the book, edited by Smith Magazine and the one I quote from almost each week, Not Quite What I Was Planning, Six Word Memoirs by writers Famous & Obscure, which by the way was on the New York Times Bestseller list!!!

I recognize red flags faster, now – Barbara Burri

I sucked even the lobster legs - Rufus Griscom

Anything’s possible with an extension cord – billySirr

In and out of hot water – Piper Kerman

Life has gone to the dogs – Ted Rheingold

Moved to SF. Geek, not gay – Ryan King

So here’s the thing guys;  I know I have readers who are actual writers, some who say they’re writers, some who have written things and some who I KNOW can write so won’t you please send in some Six Word Memoirs!

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Six Word Memoir Monday

Key Lime Pie

Ok yes it is Tuesday and I THOUGHT this week was going to be better in terms of getting things done on time.  Somehow, self-discipline is slipping away as a very late spring and summer state of mind take hold!  I know it sounds as if I just made up that excuse, I think I just did.  I am feeling a bit out of control lately and know I need to inject some what? some self-discipline? some exercise? YES to all but basically to go to bed earlier to get up earlier and then the day seems to just go better.  I would like to blame my spouse for most of the time/sleep problems and I do believe he is at the root of the problem, I know I must own my own behavior in these areas.  Well now that we have that settled, here are Monday’s Six Word Memoirs and there are only a couple.

Key lime pie is sooooo good! – Heather

Florida beckoning, hope I don’t melt – Susan Celtic Lady

Stress is contagious, so “they” say – Me

Trying to get back on track - Me

I’m reaching out to all of you in my cyberspace and asking that you send in those SIX WORDS  that sum  up your day, your week, your life, your dreams, your passions, your loves, your problems.  I NEED your input and if you will just help me out a little in this area, I’m going to try to get back on track and keep the posts coming as I originally intended and promised. So there!!

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MOTHER is a 6 letter word!

Mom to the rescue

SIX WORD MEMOIR MONDAY

Yesterday was the official pay back day – the day we Moms get recognized for years and years of picking up, wiping up, cleaning up your toys,  planning meals, shopping for meals, driving kids to whatever, going to PTA meetings, helping with homework, cleaning the house, taking the dry cleaning in, doing the laundry,  standing on the sidelines cheering our kids on in their chosen sport, making birthday parties special, putting the new roll of toilet paper in the bathroom, taking temperatures, wiping noses, bringing tea and toast to the sick ones in bed, walking the floor in the middle of the night with the crying baby, changing our clothes 3 times a day because of spit up on our shoulders, buying the Easter candy and hiding the baskets, putting band-aids and kisses on knees and elbows, bathing and washing more than one person and not yourself, cooking dinners, making lunches, buying the sugared cereal once in a while, baking cookies and cupcakes for school parties, sitting by the pool while you have your swim lessons, taking you to the playground, filling your Christmas stocking, sending you birthday cards even though you’re in your 30′s, helping to plan a wedding, buying a wedding gown, helping you write the entrance essays for college, making French toast or pancakes for your sleep-over guests, car-pooling you and your friends to nursery school,  teaching you how to knit, sew, garden or cook, insisting you make your bed so you learn some sense of responsibility, taking you for your first real haircut, waiting for hours to use the phone while you chatter away to your friends (pre-cell phone days), reading books to you, singing lullabies when you couldn’t or wouldn’t sleep, taking you for your check-ups and consoling you with a Happy Meal when you got a shot, driving 15 miles to a special store because you only liked to wear certain corduroy pants,  wiping away your tears when you had a fight with a friend or worse – a break-up, giving you as much advice about love and life as you would listen to, making sure you were safe by calling even when you didn’t want me to, teaching you how to tie your shoes, cleaning up the vomit and accidents from your pet, buying a prom dress, telling you from the day you were born how pretty or handsome you really are and loving you till the day I die.

Now having said all that, I hope all you mothers reading this got at least a card, maybe a gift or a dinner or brunch – BECAUSE we deserve it, don’t you think?

And these THREE, only THREE  Six Word Memoirs were sent this past week, oh woe is Mom!

Mom’s – the do all, end all – Susan Celtic Lady

My wonderful mother was Auntie Mame – Gail

A mother, someone I never wanted to be – Anonymous

My mother myself, good or bad – Me

My mom is gone, not forgotten - Me

Well my theme idea didn’t fly this past week but I’m going to try again and this time in sight of the recent major political event – the assassination of Osama Bin Laden; maybe we can sum up our feelings about this in Six Words, no more, no less. Could be you’re ecstatic, disappointed, relieved, glad, sad, angry, upset or whatever…try to express it in just 6 words.

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Monday IS a Six Letter Word

"The Book"

One Life, Six Words, What’s Yours?  The quest continues and the challenge remains – can you? Will you? – try to put your life into just six words, no more, no less!  Well my life, you say, is way too big and complex to distill into six words! Maybe, maybe not.  Some GREAT writers have done and each week I post about 5 Six Word Memoirs from the book, Not Quite What I Was Planning. 

Some weeks we focus on a theme and this week’s was supposed to be about FOOD, our love of, our abstinence from, from taste sensations to tasty tidbits and tasty recipes and of course the throes of dieting. WHATEVER you are thinking or feeling about food is your source of a Six Word Memoir.

This is what I received last week:

A pinch of this and that – Heather

Packing my bags. The adventure continues – Weez

Far away California, grandkids, Jersey coast – Heide

Diet ice cream flavor? Green Tea! – Me

And from the above-referenced book…

I hope to outlive my regrets. – Bob Logan

All night phone calls complete me – Harry Manning

Texas childhood can lead to wisdom – Kristen Ahlemeier-Olfe

Sweet life, good sons – I’m rich -  Roger Waggener

Barrister, barista, what’s the diff, Mom? -Abigail Moorhouse

Ok readers, I’m going to try again and this one is for EVERYONE! Mother’s Day is around the corner, let’s sum up Mom in SIX WORDS!

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