Lots of words to six words (a challenge to us AWOL writers)

I have given myself the next two weeks to figure out next year. Starting officially in September of next year but technically in June of next year insha’Allah, I start a sabbatical of sorts – 1 year off work, paid (through a partial salary-deferment plan). Originally, my intention in enrolling in the plan had been to go back to school to study documentary film-making. Hence, the two week window to figure things out as graduate program application deadlines loom in the near horizon.
But recently, I’ve become unsure if that’s the way I want to go. So now I’m mulling:
1. documentary film-making
2. art school
3. holing myself up – literally, figuratively – to write full-time
4. starting a publishing venture
5. doing nothing except everything for those in my life (i.e. housewife-supermom extraordinaire)
I’m not really worried that I won’t come to a conclusion on what should be done; on my Umrah trip two years ago, I made extensive dua seeking guidance from Allah for my year off so I trust He will direct me to something worthy of my time and efforts. In His name, we live, struggle and die.

Moving on, I don’t know if it’s just the much anticipated time off work – it being the holidays – but I’ve been really itching to write again. Like a long story. So I’ve begun reading again in bits – offline, cozy in my bed, curled up with a book, south african dried pears and coconut water. I’m ashamed to admit that I’m finally trying Life of Pi. Other books in my reading line-up (I hadn’t noticed that I’d suddenly become a nibbling reader – a little bit from this book and that – as opposed to the inhaling-one-book-at-a-time type I was previous to matrimony entering my life once again) include the latest David Sedaris, the latest fluffy Sophie Kinsella, the Qur’an ‘f course, a book of award winning magazine feature articles and various women’s mags to get me re-excited about making dinner left-overs re-exciting for the fam. Besides the Qur’an and the book of meritorious articles, it’s all light fare. Will this mix of readings vault me to my writing space which has been inaccessible for a long while now? I don’t know.

And perhaps, you don’t care so…

I move on, further, to my six-word challenge. A challenge to myself firstly and then to others who may be in the writing rut I’ve been in a long time. Or you might not be in a rut just very busy as well. Here it is: I perchanced only recently on what others may have known about for a while now: the six word memoir and so, I challenge us to commit to writing at least six words a day, everyday. It could be to sum up the day, life or a teeny tiny thing.

My six words for today:

Hey, I actually just wrote something…