Last week a book arrived on my desk called Not Quite What I Was Planning:  Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous & Obscure.  It's a collection of six-word memoirs submitted to an online project launched by SMITH magazine.  They made a book out of it and I'll tip my hat and make a blog post out of it.   

Of course, the original hat tip goes to Ernest Hemingway.  Legend has it Hemingway was challenged to write a novel in six words. Lord knows how many bottles of booze it took for Papa to brilliantly write, "For sale:  baby shoes, never worn."  Inspired by the legend and aware of a national memoir craze, the editors over at SMITH launched sixwordmemoir. com and received thousands of entries.  It didn't take long for the likes of Stephen Colbert, Dave Eggers, and Joyce Carol Oates to submt their versions. 

I decided to write my own.  Unfortunately, nothing came right away.

I then decided to let the whole idea sit in the back of my mind over the course of a weekend - a weekend where I would pay attention to where my mind went, what I said, and what I thought about.  Surely, somewhere over said weekend, a crystallizing "Angela moment" would emerge.  In the end, four memoirs popped up and since it's my blog, I can include all four, inspiring a fifth memoir:  "Girl gets blog. Drunk with power."  The others were:

"Rely too heavily on delete key."

"Took out nose ring.  Regret it."

"She left convent.  Now I'm here."

and finally, my mantra every single morning....

"Still wishing dog could make coffee."

I decided it would be fun for KPBS to get on board with the whole six-word memoir thang.  Let me be clear that my idea of fun isn't everyone's cup of tea.  Fortunately, producers, editors, reporters, and very busy folk took up the challenge with enthusiasm.  I include all of  their inspiring, funny, and thoughtful contributions below.

Sons grow.  Daughters mature.  Parents age
    -  Alan Ray, Senior News Editor

Still love my own worst enemy.
    - Chris McConnell, Citizen Voices Blogger

Keep checking horizon for my ship.
    - Nicole Lozare, Jacobs Fellow and Reporter

Put me in the game, coach!
    - Kim Nyhous, Radio Producer

Late bloomer.  I am a star!
    - Kim Nyhous, Radio Producer

Lines trace the joy of laughter.
    - Nathan Gibbs, Online Content Producer

Working mother, need I say more?
    -  Deanna Martin Mackey, Associate General Manager of Marketing Education and Online Media

I came, I troubleshot, I cackled.
    - Leng Caloh, Senior Online Managing Editor

Trile, eror, triel, errer, tryle, error.
    - Kurt Kohnen, Radio Production Manager

Push 'play' and 'record.'  Don't pause.
    - Scott Horsley, Business Correspondent, National Public Radio

Learned to apply mascara while driving.
    - Amy Isackson, on the nature of border reporting for KPBS radio

Reinvent, reinvigorate, refresh.  What's tomorrow's challenge?
    - Gloria Penner, Host, Editor's Roundtable and author of the blog Political Fix

I'm not naturally an early riser.
    - Maureen Cavanaugh, Host of KPBS Radio's Morning Edition

Everyday life excited her with possibility.
    - Joanne Faryon, Television and Radio Reporter

It will suck when I die.
    - Tom Fudge, Host, These Days

Been here, done that, back again.
    - Ed Joyce, Radio Environmental Reporter

Hello.  Laugh, Think, Cry, Love.  Goodbye.
    - Erik Anderson, Radio News Anchor/Editor

Fade in... have fun... fade out.
    - Beth Accomando, KPBS Film Critic and Co-host, Film Club of the Air

Some advice.  Never eat yellow snow.
    - Ross Ching, Online Media Manager

Live to Love.  Love to Live.
    - Hank Crook, Producer, These Days and Editor's Roundtable

Life begins at fourth row center.
    - Scott Marks, Co-host, Film Club of the Air

Loved to listen.  Loved to talk.
    - Amita Sharma, Investigative Reporter

Showed up early.  Stayed too late.
    - Andrew Phelps,  Jacobs Fellow and Reporter

Africa, Europe, India, America, but Scotland?
    - Alison St. John,  Radio Reporter

Work? Nah! Think? Maybe. Ponder? Absolutely.
    -  John Decker, Radio Program Director

If you have any of your own to add to our motley mix, add them in the comments section below!