Past Prompts

Erma Bombeck wrote, “Some say our national pastime is baseball. Not me. It’s gossip.” Supermarket tabloids, magazines, and social media thrive on spreading rumors about people. In addition, we all know people who love to gossip and delight in sharing information, secrets, or stories about others. While it can be flattering, the juiciest gossip is negative or malicious. Think back … Have you ever been the subject of gossip? Have you ever spread gossip about others? Has gossip impacted your life or the life of someone you know? What do you think about celebrity gossip? Share your gossip stories forward. Start Writing Read Stories

December 4th is National Dice Day. Many games incorporate these six-sided cubes, and some, such as craps, consist entirely of throwing dice and betting on the outcome. Think back … did you ever play dice games, or board games that used dice? Have you solved probability problems using dice? Hung fuzzy dice from your rear-view mirror? Been in a situation where you thought the dice were - literally or figuratively - loaded against you? Share your dice stories forward. Start Writing Read Stories

On the fourth Thursday in November, for most of us, the trials and tribulations of the pandemic will take a back seat while we focus on gratitude ... thankfulness and appreciation for what we have running a little deeper these days. Maybe that’s what Lincoln was thinking when he created the Thanksgiving holiday in the middle of the Civil War. Think back … about what you’ve been most grateful for in the past, and how it compares with what you’re most grateful for today. Share your Attitude of Gratitude stories forward. Start Writing Read Stories

Modern medicine has brought us the miracles of vaccines, drugs, and diagnostics, but the current healthcare bureaucracy often lacks the human touch for many of us. Think back … to a time when doctors made house calls, carried black bags, and likely knew your entire family. Did you have a family doctor? Were doctor visits supportive or scary? Would you trade some of today’s technology for more personalized care? Share your Family Medicine stories forward. Start Writing Read Stories

As children, we may have received chain letters in the mail. They guaranteed you would receive postcards, or lipsticks, or some other item, if you just followed the directions. Nowadays there are email versions, which seem much less innocent, and may even threaten you if you break the chain. Think back . . . Did you ever get these? Did you follow the instructions? Did you get any of the promised rewards? Share your Chain Letters stories forward. Start Writing Read Stories