Six Words free essay sample

â€Å"What would your six-word memoir be?† my friend inquired one Sunday morning. A simple question, sure, but I remained uncharacteristically quiet, hesitating. The six-word memoir challenge originates from a legend about Ernest Hemingway: he was once dared to tell a story in just six words, to which he responded, â€Å"For sale: baby shoes, never worn.† Genius. â€Å"How about ‘I am bad at counting,† I joked. Although I brushed off the question initially, it soon came darting back into my mind, dancing around my other thoughts, demanding my attention. Could my own story be summarized in a mere half-dozen words? The more impossible it seemed, the more I knew I had to try. â€Å"I only believe in silver linings.† Today, I pride myself on my optimism, thanks to the influence of my perpetually positive dad. I now know how to appreciate the good and roll with the bad. But I wasnt always such a strong believer in every clouds silver lining. We will write a custom essay sample on Six Words or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Five years ago I believed only in the clouds. I only appreciated efforts that rewarded me with instant gratification, and it goes without saying that very few things in life fit under this rather small umbrella. I have grown since then, but not in one defining moment, sudden epiphany, or life-changing experience. I have simply changed to be the person I am today. And although these six words identify a growth that Im proud of, I cant help but feel as if they characterize me as a chipper but flat character akin to Pride and Prejudices Jane Bennet – somebody I surely cannot be. â€Å"Chopsticks make surprisingly good marshmallow-toasters.† I use chopsticks to toast marshmallows, but I only know how to eat rice with a spoon. I memorize Po Chu-I for Chinese class and then read my favorite American author, F. Scott Fitzgerald, at home. I am the living juxtaposition of Chinese culture and American traditions. In Chicago, where I was born and raised until age 12, I never saw myself as different from my Caucasian friends. The fact that I went to Chinese school when my best friend was at Sunday school was just a fact of life. Upon moving to Taiwan, I realized that I was not as in tune with my ethnic background as Id thought. After living there for five years, that changed significantly. While Ive realized that I am not confined by this cultural amalgamation, by the same token,  ­neither am I defined by it. â€Å"Writing: I never liked math anyway.† My affection for words first surfaced in fourth grade. I was asked to write a poem about a field trip to Lake Michigan. I was nine years old and had never written a poem before. Pencil in hand and brows furrowed, I cautiously began, â€Å"Splash!† Ever since that fateful exclamation I have harbored a deep love for writing and for the feelings, imagery, and clarity that streams of carefully chosen words can convey. The colorful marginalia that decorates my copy of my  ­favorite book, The Great Gatsby, can attest to my  ­admiration of Fitzgeralds tight rein on diction. I  ­admire words for their ability to ascribe specificity to our inherently variegated world, to â€Å"name the unnamed,† as Jonathan Safran Foer once said. Nevertheless, I would like to believe that the â€Å"unnamed† potential in me is too much to describe in a meager six words. And then I thought of it. Six words were exactly enough – six syllables, in fact. My optimism and growth, mixed background and global perspective, literary interests and love of writing, aspirations and potential could be summarized simply: â€Å"I am more than just words.†