Six Words

At my college reunion this past weekend there was a time to introduce yourself. There were around 80 classmates there and most I never really knew while I actually went to school. The class organizer got up and asked that we go around and introduce ourselves and since we didn't have a lot of time but really wanted to get to everyone, we should try and introduce ourselves in 6 words.

There were a few moans from the crowd (many of us like to talk about ourselves I guess), but then it got quiet as people begin to think about how to introduce themselves in 6 words.  Silence for a few minutes and finally the organizer got up and said "okay, maybe 6 words is not enough, but if we can keep them short so we can get to everyone it would be great."

The first one went, married, 3 kids, 1 in college, work for 'someplace', and enjoys reading...the next and the next all saying the same type of things - how many kids, where they were enrolled in college, where they worked and one hobby. It went pretty quick but by the second table of folks one of the guys said "same as everyone, kids, college, I work and I like to play" then he said "but let me give you my six words. Caring, family, kids, traveling, renewed, and happy." Whoa! Six words and I knew more about him then if he were to tell me the kids names or where he lived. He was happy and he felt renewed. He cared for his family and kids and loved to travel. Now that is a person I could have a conversation with.

It is hard if you don't fit the mold of "3 kids, thinking of where they will go to college, and work at some place doing something and enjoy doing something".  I was sitting next to my best friend from college and we kind of laughed as we told each other our 6 words. It was like I knew what she would say and she knew what I would say and we laughed at how much we still knew about each other having not spoken much in the past 25 years.

It reminded me that talking is sometimes very overrated and most of the time people do it just to hear themselves talk. I call it vocal thinking. Talk talk talk....yet nothing is said. What if you went to a meeting at work and said only 6 words? What if you put a project proposal with only 6 words? What if you introduced yourself to someone you didn't know with only 6 words? What would they be?

I think I am going to do this as a staff development at work and have everyone put there 6 words up in their work area. Then after a few days I want to see if it starts new conversations, new ideas, new friendships. Six words!

How would YOU describe yourself in 6 words?