Memoir Project: 6 Word Memoirs and The Soundtrack of Your Life

WARNING! THIS BLOG IS NOT COMPLETE!

I think music in itself is healing. It's an explosive expression of humanity. It's something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we're from, everyone loves music. Billy Joel

Writing a memoir comes easily for some, but is a struggle for others. One of the hardest things is revealing stories about yourself. However, life is about reflection, exploring, and sharing. The final written piece will not be shared with your classmates because I respect your right to privacy. Your story does not have to be deeply personal, but often times, those are things that we need to process the most.

This project will involve several activities. Some will be in class, but most will be out of class. 

It is highly important that you prioritize your time. 

Day 1: 6 Word Memoir

This in-class activity was inspired by supposed Hemingway's challenge to write a six word story. The story was, "For Sale: Baby Shoes. Never Worn."

To better help understand the process, we watched  "Tips for Writing a 6 Word Memoir" while pausing to complete each activity. There are some really interesting videos, books, and websites dedicated to The 6 Word Memoir that I strongly recommend. The concept is easy, but can be challenging; plus, they are often intriguing because so little is said.

Day 2: The Soundtrack of My Life inspired by Littunes

Step One: 

• List eight major events that have happened in your life.

1. Meeting My Childhood Best Friend

2. Sisters' Birth

3. Group Home

4. Son's Birth

5. College Graduation

6. Divorce

7. Grandma's Death

8. Remarrying 

Step Two: 

• Choose a song that represents each event. 
• The lyrics must match the theme/emotion of the event and MUST BE ACADEMICALLY APPROPRIATE (edit them if you have to do so). You can use www.songfacts.com to help you search for songs by subject. 
• A brief explanation of each connection will need to be provided with samples of the lyrics or video clips. 

1. Meeting My Childhood Best Friend

"Count on Me" by Whitney Houston and CeCe Winans

I met my best friend when I was 9 years old and we are as close as ever 25 years later. Angie and I have been with each other through the unimaginable, both good and bad. Time has never changed our relationship and never will. 

2. Sisters' Birth

"I Hope You Dance" by Leeann Womack

At the time of my first sister's birth, I wasn't exactly thrilled. I always loved her, but I had been an only child for 10 years. Of course, she and my other sisters have been a source of unconditional love and pride for me. When I reflect on my dreams for them, this is the song that sings from my heart. 

3. Group Homes

"Desperately Wanting" by Better than Ezra 

It is no secret that I was a wayward and deviant teen who put herself in dangerous situations. Having to spend time in group homes was traumatic; upon reflection, those places probably saved my life and kept me safe enough from my wreckless behavior that I was able to eventually achieve my dreams of becoming a mother, a teacher, and a wife. "Desperately Wanting" by Better than Ezra still transports me to that time and those places, despite the fact that my attitude towards the reason for my placements has changed as an adult. 

4. Son's Birth

"Godspeed" by The Dixie Chics

"Godspeed" by The Dixie Chics is my song for my son. He came into the world and I was forever changed. The love a mother has for her child is like no other. Godspeed is meant to wish someone a prosperous journy and all I want for my rugged and creative little boy is to find his happiness in the world. I have been singing this to him 

5. College Graduation

"Survivor" by Destiny's Child

There were many people that did not believe that I would be able to overcome the obstacles that I faced (and sometimes created) during my teen years and early twenties. It took me A LONG TIME to finish college, but I was determined to become a teacher. I knew that I was going to make, even when other's didn't think that I could. I sang this song in my head while I walked across stage to get my diploma. Truth Bomb - Haters last your whole life, so let their negativity push you to greatness and leave them in the dust. 

6. Divorce

"Ex-Factor" by Lauryn Hill

No one gets married with the plans of getting divorced one day. Most divorces aren't because of lack of love, but rather other prideful and stressful adult junk that just can't get worked out. Divorce hit me really hard and I would spend a lot of time listening to Lauryn Hill's entire album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. 

This is an example of how a song may not represent the entire situation, but the tone and emotions with a few key lines can be tied to a moment to create a musical memoir. 

On a positive note, my ex and I both found the loves of our lives and are happy beyond belief with our spouses. Still, this song reminds me of the pain and confusion that comes with a failing marriage.

7. The Passing of My Grandmothers 

"The Old Rugged Cross" by Brad Paisley 

and 

"When I Get Where I'm Going" by Brad Paisley feating Dolly Parton

My Grandma Hammond passed away on January 4, 1997. She had been sick on some level most of my life, but it still felt sudden. She spoiled us grandkids perfectly rotten and we had a very special bond because I was the only girl for a long time. She would take my cousin Shane and me to the zoo and then to the grocery store; she wanted to see my Papaw and we wanted a chocolate bar. I seemed to have inherited her flair for the dramatic and gift of gab. This is old hymn is her song because it was her favorite. 

My Grandma Ann passed away on January 2, 2011. Unlike my maternal grandmother, my Grandma Ann was always working and was highly independent. She was the rock of my life. It was nine weeks between her diagnosis of stage 4 cancer and her death. I was not prepared to lose my most trustest confidant and my biggest fan. I still have her number in my phone and still forget that I can't just call her to get advice, to gossip, to get a recipe, a pep talk, a butt-chewing, or gardening advice.

8. Remarrying 

"You Are the Best Thing" by Ray Lamontagne

And then.....I met the love of my life and he decided to make me his wife. Although, I did not make it easy and tried my hardest to avoid a relationship with him. I had a ton of excuses, but there was a draw and I felt like I had found my metaphorical home (you know, a place of safety, nurturing, warmth, and all that other sappy stuff). To hear him tell it, he says that I was "the answer to his prayers" and "God's gift" to him. Newlyweds are SOOOOO mushy.

Day 3: PowerPoint 

After compiling your life events and choosing the appropriate songs to create a soundtrack, begin to create a powerpoint presentation (for the purpose of privacy).  

You may include pictures, videos, samples of lyrics if they are appropriate. 

Multimedia Project : The Soundtrack of My Life Teacher Name: Jaimie Hatfield Student Name:     ________________________________________

CATEGORY	4	3	2	1
Attractiveness	Makes excellent use of font, color, graphics, effects, etc. to enhance the presentation.	Makes good use of font, color, graphics, effects, etc. to enhance to presentation.	Makes use of font, color, graphics, effects, etc. but occasionally these detract from the presentation content.	Use of font, color, graphics, effects etc. but these often distract from the presentaion content.
Requirements	All requirements are met and exceeded. You must have 8 events with brief descriptions and an explained musical connection.	All requirements are met. You must have 8 events with brief descriptions and a musical connection.	One requirement was not completely met. You must have 8 events with brief descriptions and/or a musical connection.	More than one requirement was not completely met.
Mechanics	No misspellings or grammatical errors.	Three or fewer misspellings and/or mechanical errors.	Four misspellings and/or grammatical errors.	More than 4 errors in spelling or grammar.
Content	Covers topic in-depth with details and examples. Subject knowledge is excellent.	Includes essential knowledge about the topic. Subject knowledge appears to be good.	Includes essential information about the topic but there are 1-2 factual errors.	Content is minimal OR there are several factual errors.
Organization	Content is well organized using headings or bulleted lists to group related material.	Uses headings or bulleted lists to organize, but the overall organization of topics appears flawed.	Content is logically organized for the most part.	There was no clear or logical organizational structure, just lots of facts.
Originality	Product shows a large amount of original thought. Ideas are creative and inventive.	Product shows some original thought. Work shows new ideas and insights.	Uses other people\'s ideas (giving them credit), but there is little evidence of original thinking.	Uses other people\'s ideas, but does not give them credit.

The Best Apology of my Life

Angie had hair that was MUCH more 80s than this. 

When I talk about my childhood best friend, I am typically talking about a named Angie. She was and is my forever friend. Yet, when I first moved to Little Rock at the age of 9, Angie couldn’t stand me. I was a loud, obnoxious tomboy; she was a quiet, refined girlie-girl. In fact, she would wish for me to fall on my face every afternoon when I would get off the bus, run across the lawn, and leap off of a small retainer wall. I loved leaping off that thing and I never fell on my face, despite Angie’s wishes.

Where it all began for us. 

Our friendship began with a source of embarrassment for her, but a source of a secret comradely quirkiness. There was a day towards the end of 4^th grade when they combined two bus routes. The only seat left was next to Angie. She spent most of the ride looking out the window, straightening her frilly dress, and adjusting her hair. I was yapping away at anyone who would listen and being generally spastic. The driver would not let me move once some of the kids got off the bus, so we were stuck with each other in that hot, green vinyl seat. I was bored and she was annoyed.

"You're doing it wrong, Angie Dawn!"

All of a sudden, she channeled her inner Mork and started saying, “Neener, neener, neener, neener,” as she peered out the window. Ms. Prim and Proper had intrigued me. I said, “What in the world are you doing?” She blushed and said, “Oh! It is just something that I do sometimes. Try it. It feels neat.” There we were on the bus, in unison, quietly whispering, “Neener, neener, neener, neener.” We have been best friends ever since. We are still complete opposites, but she did teach me how to do my make-up and wear more than jeans and sweatshirts.

However, there is always someone who doesn’t get mentioned in the story of my best friendships or the story of the boys that changed my life.

Scott.

Scott came riding in my life on his bike full of imagination, adventure, and attitude. He sized me up and decided that, despite being a girl, I was a worthy adversary; he made me his partner in crime instead.

He would probably say that I was a part of his Foot Clan.

This kid looks like a wimp compared to Scott. 

We met at a patch of blackberries on my street. He was mouthing off to the nosy neighbor who demanded that he stop eating the blackberries. He demanded that she give her kids decent names (seriously, her kids had awful names). I thought this was a perfect opportunity to demonstrate some 9 year old defiance and joined in to prove how tough I was.

Except we were mini-metal heads

Imagine Veda and Thomas’ friendship with My Girl, but without the wimpiness of Thomas, the morgue in the Veda’s house, and the kiss. We were that close, but not close enough to kiss. That would have been completely incestuous.

We spent our afternoons riding our bikes around the neighborhood behaving as miniature, blonde vigilantes. We even had a secret hiding place for notes under a loose brick on someone’s retaining wall in order to communicate when I was grounded, which was often.

It could happen in Arkansas.

There were numerous adventures that typically ended up in one of us or both us of getting into trouble and always treated as if we were being overly dramatic. For example, we went hiking into the ravine in our neighborhood and thought that wild dogs were chasing us. We ran up the opposite side of the hill, in someone’s back yard, and eventually on a service road. My mother laughed at the wild dog story.

We were also chased my an ax murdered one Halloween. After were were done running for our lives, we discussed that we had proof this time – my pillow case had lost all of its sugary contents because the material had been sliced (by the ax murderer, of course). My mom said that we got worked-out and I must have snagged my pillow case while we were running.

What my former neighbor is probably doing now. 

From my window at night, I could see my neighbor opening his crawl space and dragging out something in a bag that was very heavy. He also had a shovel. He would dig in the dark for a very long time and when he returned his shovel to the crawl space, no heavy bag was returned.

I peddled as fast as I could to meet Scott to discuss this the next Saturday morning. It was obvious that this man was burying a body, right? We went into surveillance mode, but we eventually got bored and went on to play NES. My mom claims that our neighbor was gardening at night because of his work schedule. Uh, huh.

There was another neighbor down the way that looked freakishly like Prince. He would drive his Camaro too fast for our liking. We first noticed where he lived while we were messing with The Old Man’s Koi fish. His tidy, gnome-like house did not match his flashy exterior. There had to be a secret there. 

That "stray dog" must have had opposable thumbs. 

We watched him for weeks and say no movement. On one of our stakeouts, we noticed an opened parcel with something shiny sticking out. When a “stray dog accidentally” knocked it over, a golden throwing star fell out. HE WAS AN EVIL NINJA!!! Scott and I became heroes that day as were made sure to rid the world of his weapon of mass destruction. I didn’t bother to get my mother’s opinion on this. She would probably have said the “stray dog” wasn’t real and she certainly would have made me search the woods and apologize to Ninja Prince. 

One of our last adventures was in the middle of a fight (he had locked in a playhouse with the most perverted boy that I had every known and after beating the boy up and throwing him out of the playhouse window, I stormed home). Scott rode his bike to my house and declared, “I know we aren’t speaking, but we have until midnight to get to South America or the entire world will explode.”

It was the best apology from a guy that I ever received.

Unavoidably, puberty came and interfered with our adventures. He became friends with the biggest basketball-headed jerk that I had ever met and Angie had begun the process of helping me transition into girlie things. Our adventures were over.

Scott is a part of some of my best childhood memories and I credit him for helping build my imagination. Because of my friendship with him, I knew how to get in the dirt and play imaginative games with my own little boy. The level of silliness shared with the both are priceless.

Some part of me never will. 

Where is Scott now? He lives in the country with his beautiful wife with a family of critters to wrangle with every day. He is a good guy and probably one of the most awesome people that I will ever know.

P.S. Did I mention the time that Angie’s dad, who was a police officer, busted us throwing rocks at cars? I didn’t mention that to Angie or my mother.