MiniMemories are tiny stories: the little snippets, tidbits, and vignettes of our lives that flash unbidden through our minds. They are random, often activated by something we see or read or hear. They are little stories that we trot out with family, friends, and, sometimes anonymously with strangers while we wait for our turn at the dental office or idly chat on the airplane or city bus. Unfortunately, if we haven’t practiced them, the stories can be rambling, muddled, incoherent, too long, and filled with irrelevant, confusing details.
We can practice these MiniMemories by writing them down. As we do, we find that they fill in the gaps between our Big Stories, acting like cement to pull our life story together. They also allow us to share a memory without having to tell ALL the details, e.g. The Husband can just be the husband without revealing he was Husband #3 or a story about our daughter without mentioning that we haven’t talked to her in years.
When we write these MiniMemories down, we practice how to present the story, how to make it a focused, concise, interesting story of about 500 words that fits perfectly into that 5-10-15 minute space in the conversation. For sure in the moment we vary the story for the circumstances and the listeners. The core of the story though is ready to be kindly and thoughtfully shared.
The benefits? We preserve our memories so we don’t lose them and we can even use them as material for future Big Stories. The greatest benefits: our practiced MiniMemories make us enjoyable storytellers to others and to ourselves.
Copyright © 2025 by Jane Iddings
What a great way to remove the pressure of having to write a fully developed piece every time. It is also an opportunity to practice the art of concise writing; a benefit for most writers.
I like the idea of the Minimemory. I think it serves several purposes: one it seems more manageable for starters, a little thought can trigger the memory for yourself or for others, and as you say it may become the start of a larger story at a later date. Thanks for sharing that concept.
I am looking forward to reading upcoming mini-memories as stories shared and are concise yet insightful!
What a logical approach to writing and remembering. Thanks for sharing the concept of capturing mini-memories.
I love the spirit of this exercise, and I look forward to reading the contributions.