just six words?

legend says that my man ernest hemingway was asked to write the story of his life in under ten words. one version of the story places him in a bar, trying to scrounge together a way to pay off a lengthy bar tab. he apparently used his wit and writing skill to weasel his way out of that one. another version of the story says that he challenged a classy lunch table full of high caliber writers to ante up. and they balked. so into the pot went their $10 bills. winner takes all? he certainly did. still another version contains a lengthier version of hemingway's story, similar to a classified ad featured next to an article he wrote for a local paper. and unless were hopping in the delorean for the night with doc brown, we have no way of knowing what really happened. regardless, mission accomplished. he created something that he later called his best work. and what came from this urban legend is perhaps one of the most poignant and mysterious pieces of writing to this day:

"for sale: baby shoes, never worn."

excuse me, what? at first glance, the story makes no sense. but break it apart. its an advertisement. a person is trying to sell something they will no longer use. and by the looks of it, something they have never used. as far as ads go, this one seems pretty solid. think of yourself as an old school craigs list buyer. things are hardly ever new/unused. youve practically hit the jackpot. but have you? the simple, yet evocative story begs many questions. who is selling said shoes? is it a man, a woman, a couple? and why are they willing to sell the shoes? why dont they have any use for them? hemingway's story makes me absolutely mad with thoughts. on one hand, i believe this: he was often looked at as a remarkably mature writer, someone who had lived beyond his years. even at a young age, and early in his writing career, hemingway showed maturity in everything from his word choice to experiential nature. he wrote with the tenderness and wisdom of an old man who had seen and done quite a bit. many agree that his development as a writer did not follow a steep upward slope; he started out so advanced that there wasnt much room to build. that being said, i look at his "baby shoes" as the foundations of his writing career. he never needed to learn how to crawl and then walk. he started off at a run. he never felt the need to wear those baby shoes. he started right off with a pair of chuck taylors. high tops, preferably. and thats what i refer to as my "serendipity" version. its a lovely story, right? but most likely, its not the case. ernest hemingway was also looked at as a very dark writer. many of his novels and plays do not end with lines evoking the "happily ever after" feeling. people in his works often leave their families, fall out of love, get killed in wars, and generally live a life of loneliness and heartbreak. hes no edgar allan poe, but he gets deep with it. he has often been referred to as an emotion-squasher, for lack of a better word. he gives you all of the facts and events, and leaves you to weep on your own. many of his novels force the reader to look at the truth, when they would much rather sugar coat it or replace it with a much prettier version. and unfortunately, many believe that the baby shoes belonged to a baby, one who was never able to wear them. in almost all of hemingways writing, there is a sense of loss. the story i think is most likely true, sad as it may be, is about the loss of a child. his child maybe? in this version, hes selling the shoes because his child never got the chance to wear them. hes not only selling the physical shoes, but the memories of the child who would never walk in them. he was known to mask many emotions and push negativity aside, not dealing with his issues. so instead of dealing with this loss, he is pushing it away, selling it to someone who may be able to create better memories.

and now that ive officially depressed you all, theres a purpose! smith magazine took this phenomenon and turned it into an online contest. the contest to create a piece of flash fiction, following in the footsteps of ernest hemingway, led to a series of books. people from all over the world, in all walks of life, not separated by race or age or interest, famous and obscure, submitted entries. i find myself completely enthralled by this idea. i cant get enough of it. im a really big play on words person so this is like my dream read. and with the end of the school year rapidly approaching, grades already finalized, and a week left of trying to keep the mayhem to a minimum so my students dont tear the place apart, i thought i would give it a try. this week ive asked my students to try to create their own memoirs, in six words. i found a bunch of cool youtube videos that other schools put together, and i have all three books by smith magazine. i actually found a bunch more online as well. i have some of my favorites hanging in my room. the kids are really enjoying it and truly thinking about it. its not as easy as it sounds to sum your entire life up into just six words. not five. not seven. for me, thats the hardest part. what, my long-winded self isnt having trouble keeping it below 500 words? well, obviously i am. but once i got it down there, it seems like everything i wrote was either five or seven words. never six. im still struggling. stay tuned! and also, if you so feel the urge, try it. i cant wait to see what some of my kids come up with. obviously, ill post when theyre done. just cross your fingers that theyre better than jazzmyn's "i hate language arts and you." attempt. not exactly what i was hoping for. . .