I was going to write a post about memes and a particular one that has been bothering me lately, but in my searching for examples and information, I stumbled across something much more positive. So today I’m going to post about that instead, and save my other meme-related rant for another day. What the hell; it’s Friday.

I found the site of a fellow-blogger; a blog called Beyond 30 (which has instant appeal for those of us cringing at the thought of our next landmark birthday having a terrifying 4 at the front of it). The blog owner had recently posted about the “Hemingway Meme” which I found fascinating.

Quoting from this site, among others:

Legend has it that Hemingway was once challenged to write a story in only six words. His response? “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”

This then seems to have sparked online magazine, SMITH Magazine, to launch a competition of sorts to get their readers to submit a memoir consisting of only six words. This was back in 2006, so the first book of six-word-memoirs has already been published, titled Not Quite What I Was Planning. In SMITH’s words:

Everyone has a story. Can you tell yours in six words? Submit yours to be considered for SMITH’s next six-word memoir book. The first book, Not Quite What I Was Planning, is out now.

You can submit yours to SMITH here.

I read a few of the entries and was intrigued. The whole idea was so reminiscent of PostSecret to me (if you haven’t had the voyeuristic pleasure, PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard). Both of these projects ask you to shrink down your life, your situation or your secret to a few words which let readers make up the rest of the story in their minds. It fosters creativity and imagination at both ends of the process, which I love.

Here is a YouTube video that SMITH Magazine put together telling the story of their original contest, including some of the entries:

I read in the Beyond 30 blog that this six word memoir has been made into a blog-meme; in other words, take one down, pass it around.

It was something I was really interested to take part in, and invite others to do so as well.

Here are the rules for participation in the Six Words Meme:
1) Write your own six word memoir.
2) Post it on your blog, including a visual illustration if you want to.
3) Link to the person that tagged or inspired you to join in (in this case ME!), and to the original post if possible [so we can track it as it travels].
4) Tag at least five others with links.
5) Don’t forget to leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play.
6) Have fun!

So without further ado, here is my six word memoir:

I tag Vanessa, Kat, Lilly, Amy Joanna and Jeff to participate. Looking forward to reading theirs.