If you had to summarize your life in six words, what would they be? Several years ago an online magazine asked that question. It was inspired by a possibly legendary challenge posed to Ernest Hemingway to write a six-word story that resulted in the classic "For sale: baby shoes, never worn." The magazine was flooded with so many responses that the site almost crashed, and the responses were eventually turned into a book. Not Quite What I Was Planning is filled with six-word memoirs by writers "famous and obscure." Here are some of the memoirs that range from funny to ironic to inspiring to heartbreaking:
- "One tooth, one cavity; life's cruel."
- "Savior complex makes for many disappointments."
- "Cursed with cancer. Blessed with friends." (This one was written by a nine-year-old boy with cancer).
- "The psychic said I'd be richer."
- This one was only five words: "One long train to darkness."
- "Tombstone won't say: 'Had health insurance.'"
- "Not a good Christian, but trying."
- "Thought I would have more impact."
The challenge of the six-word limitation is its demand to focus on what matters most, to capture briefly something of significance. How would you summarize your life, or just last year, or maybe this upcoming year, in six words?