220 Comments
User's avatar
mary g.'s avatar

I am happy to be here.

Kevin C's avatar

Here is happy you are here.

Rob Edwards's avatar

Happy to be here? I am.

Vishal's avatar

Yoda version: Happy to be here, I am.

Rob Edwards's avatar

To be here? Happy am I!

Rob Edwards's avatar

Here, I am happy to be.

Vishal's avatar

Thank you, Mary G, for bringing this back! Love to see everyone here again.

6-word story: Then even my dog ran away

mary g.'s avatar

Your story here says so much in just six words!

Charlie Kyle's avatar

I can understand that one.

Mark with a K's avatar

My dog was driving my truck.

Angela Allen's avatar

This could be a country song!

Vishal's avatar

Yes! How about: Ma durn dawg done run away

John Evans's avatar

Y'ain't nothin' but a hound dog

Niall's avatar

I see it! Nicely done.

Marcy Gordon's avatar

Born the day the music died.

Kristin Idaszak's avatar

love it! so simple and evocative

Marcy Gordon's avatar

I made the connection after I found out the meaning of the phrase “the day the music died” in American Pie.

Marcy Gordon's avatar

American Pie the song not the movie!! Ha.

Tod Cheney's avatar

Both evidenced lachrymosity, before the divorce.

Mark with a K's avatar

After the divorce, both googled "lachrymosity."

Niall's avatar

The dictionary was just thrown out.

mary g.'s avatar

Great word. Also: I've been there.

Rob Edwards's avatar

Neither wept; evidence documented; nisi decreed.

Sean Mary Helen Hurt's avatar

I just learned a new word from you, ‘lachrymosity’—🙏. Nice.

Tod Cheney's avatar

It came to mind, but I had to look it up myself to see what it meant. :)

Lee G. Hornbrook's avatar

That word brings tears to my eyes, Tod.

Angela Allen's avatar

I love this response!

Janet Kyle Altman's avatar

Settlement obstacle: who gets the dictionary ?

Tod Cheney's avatar

In a 50 - 50 split they tear it in half she gets A - L and he gets M-Z. It's only fair.

Tod Cheney's avatar

Indeed, after posting this it felt like the tense was wrong, which made the "story" awkward. But there were already comments, so I didn't change it.

Odunoluwa's avatar

I'm practising writing using the parataxis technique so I tried applying it to my 6-word life story.

Examining yesterday, contemplating today, future reenvisioned.

mary g.'s avatar

Oh, perfect technique for this prompt!

Odunoluwa's avatar

Thanks, Mary, and thanks for coming back. I'm glad I took the leap of faith and subscribed even when your page and welcome message said you were on a break. 😀

mary g.'s avatar

I'm glad you did, too!

Rob Edwards's avatar

Yesterday re-envisioned; today examined; future contemplated.

Victoria Williamson's avatar

I've not heard that word, (had to look it up!) but I'm interested in the technique. Thanks!

Kristin Idaszak's avatar

You sent me down a parataxis rabbit hole; thank you!

Odunoluwa's avatar

Hahaha!You're most welcome

Odunoluwa's avatar

Thank you, Angela! 🫶🏽

Judith Frizlen's avatar

She lived, wrote, and grew wise.

Rob Edwards's avatar

She wrote to live, growing wiser.

Anne Bianco's avatar

Hope reincarnation isn’t a real thing.

Anne Bianco's avatar

And thank you Mary!

mary g.'s avatar

So glad you are here!

Ruth Sterling's avatar

The Quest to Verify Past Lives

page 7, NY Times, 01/05/25

Anne Bianco's avatar

I didn’t see that article but it’s funny. I was just sitting drinking my coffee this morning and it occurred to me I might die and wake up as a child with my consciousness? And I didn’t like the idea of doing this all over again. I wondered. Had I learned my karmic lessons? Or would I have a chance again to reach my supposed goals and dreams only to find myself an anorexic film actress trying to remain young looking and wouldn’t THAT be suffering further? I’ll stick with my “unsuccessful” present life, I think haha

Angela Allen's avatar

There is a story just waiting in this response!

Anne Bianco's avatar

Didn’t think of that!

Mark Olmsted's avatar

"Had I learned my karmic lessons?" There's your 6 word story.

Lee G. Hornbrook's avatar

I didn't see yours, Anne, when I wrote mine - how odd!

Ruth Sterling's avatar

quit reading the NY Times, :)

John Evans's avatar

Should have done it long ago!

Anne Bianco's avatar

We’re on the same wavelength!

Andrea's avatar

Earnestly self-criticize, overcorrect, recalibrate. Repeat!

mary g.'s avatar

Ain't that the truth?

Angela Allen's avatar

And I feel like a Dalek somewhere is calling "Exterminate!"--Sorry, it just felt like the next phase.

Sean Mary Helen Hurt's avatar

Like the cyclical nature of this.

Marcy Gordon's avatar

Your reply can stand as its own six word story.

Sean Mary Helen Hurt's avatar

Haha! You are correct. Didn’t see. 🎸

Deborah's avatar

These were intended as six unrelated six-word stories. But, perhaps, they turned out to be six installments of one longer story.

The mistake was agreeing to disagree.

Never buy discounted day-old sushi.

Patience has its place; not here.

Better safe than sorry is nonsense.

The truth didn’t set Tom free.

Freedom is another word for loneliness.

mary g.'s avatar

I'm with John. Keep going! These are great.

Tod Cheney's avatar

So many truths here, toward what end, not Tom's apparently.

John Evans's avatar

These pack a punch -- keep going!

Angela Allen's avatar

This would be such fun to write as a mash up!

Marcy Gordon's avatar

This is a fun prompt Mary. I had two six word memoir's published in the Larry Smith books back when they still did print copies.

Eat red meat, drink red wine. —

Appeared in the volume titled “It All Happened in an Instant”.

Avoid all paintball team-building games. —

Was in Six Words About Work.

Christine Beck's avatar

Love the idea of beginning with "Avoid." So many fun ideas from that.

John Evans's avatar

Where angels fear to tread: Avoid

Angela Allen's avatar

Yes. That's a great start.

mary g.'s avatar

That's amazing!

Marcy Gordon's avatar

They used to include the stories that were behind the six words. I don’t know if they are still available online but both of mine are from “lived experiences”

Angela Allen's avatar

Marcy, regarding the paint ball--my mind immediately went to Good Omens when Crowley substitutes real ammunition for paint balls during a team building exercise.

Marcy Gordon's avatar

I was actually in a paintball team building event and “accidentally” shot my boss in the back. Oops.😬

John Evans's avatar

Hope his hearty laughter was genuine.

Anne Bianco's avatar

Not as bad as it appeared.

John Evans's avatar

Not as good as it promised.

mary g.'s avatar

I think one of the first six-word stories I ever read was "Not quite what I had imagined." Still one of my favorites.

mary g.'s avatar

Such a good one.

Anne Bianco's avatar

Another from brother in law:

With duct tape, anything is possible.

Christine Beck's avatar

Two rings. One ring. Don't call.

Kristin Idaszak's avatar

Good hearted. Bad hearted. (Not metaphorically.)

mary g.'s avatar

Oh, this is so good, and also makes me nervous.

Mark with a K's avatar

Good heart. Bad heart. No heart.

Malcolm W Campbell's avatar

I'm drowsy every day except Sabbath.

mary g.'s avatar

i love this one, and I can see how it would be true.

Sean Mary Helen Hurt's avatar

Running empty, surrender. Listen, go slow.