What's your story?

Steven Mead

Steven serves UU Santa Fe as Consulting Lifespan Learning Director

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For sale: Baby shoes. Never worn. — Ernest Hemingway
Longed for him. Got him. Shit. — Margaret Atwood
All those pages in the fire. — Janet Burroway
―Narrative, Six-Word Story Guidelines

I was at a religious educator's retreat in March.  One of our leader's had us spend time writing a six-word story of our life or where we "were at" at the moment.  Here's mine:
"Born 1954.  Lived well.  Moved on."

​Like in public speaking, keeping it short is challenging.  Ponder this quote, attributed to various authors, "If you want me to speak for an hour, I am ready today.  If you want me to speak for just a few minutes, it will take me a few weeks to prepare.” So, what's your story?  What would you tell someone about yourself in six words?  Have engraved on your headstone?  Where are "you at" at the present time?

I would be the first to admit that living your story is better way to spend your time than writing it.  But writing it out may have merit--give you insight into yourself.  Give it a try.  Or, could you write a six-word story about UU Santa Fe?  Give that a try.  My point is, our stories, individual and collective, are important.  What we do matters.  What we say, less so.

One of the labels for God (or use your own label for the Ultimate) is:  god is a Story.  Just that, an emerging story about everything, everywhere, throughout all time.  Right now, I am in the "living well" part of my story.  The "moving on" is yet to come.  If you are brave, send me your story and maybe we can share with the whole UU Santa Fe community.

​Live your story.  See you on Sunday.

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