Six-Word Stories (NPR)
Awhile ago, I heard a fascinating NPR piece discussing “Not Quite What I Was Planning,” a book that compiled six-word stories. It’s amazing how much depth and detail you can convey in just those few words.
“For example, “legend has it that novelist Ernest Hemingway responded: ‘For Sale: baby shoes, never worn.'” Wow.
“In this spirit of simple yet profound brevity, the online magazine Smith asked readers to write the story of their own lives in a single sentence. … Their stories are sometimes sad, often funny — and always concise.”
I thought it would be interesting to see what lawyers and law marketers might come up with when describing their own lives, careers, experiences, firms, or just something they’d been thinking about. We got a healthy response, with most asking to remain anonymous. They’re funny, clever, smart, sad, and NSFW.
Here are 25 examples; I’ve bolded some of my favorites:
-My golden handcuffs are Fool’s Gold.
-I work harder than my associates.
-Sure, everyone blame the marketing director.
-Our HR Department is a joke.
-My partner [Joe] drinks too much.
-Law school didn’t teach me shit.
-When my bonus arrives, I’m gone.
-Our website looks like everyone else’s.
-“Social Media?” Twitter? LinkedIn? Facebook? AARGH!
-I’m embarrassed by our firm’s website.
-I’m not a very good lawyer.
-Lost my job. Losing my family.
-I hope this gets fun soon.
-Would Abe Lincoln have sent “Tweets?”
-I padded my hours yesterday. <sigh>
-Can I meet an actual client?
-Stress will cause me to quit. 
-I don’t know how to find clients.
-My firm’s in the bottom half.
-I’d make Atticus Finch very sad.
-New job. Another new job. Repeat.
-I like Law. But I’m exhausted.
-No human should bill 2,400 hours.
-I work. My son plays. Alone.
-I’ve never seen a T-ball game.
-Our lawyers sexually harass the secretaries.
Powerful stuff.
Please email your tiny stories to me and I’ll compile and share them, with or without attribution.
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