The dictionary definition of “word” is “a single distinct, meaningful element of speech or writing used with others to form a sentence.”
And of course now in addition to speaking or writing, we can send our words electronically around the globe with a simple click. But the poet Pearl Strachan Hurd reminds us to … “Handle them carefully, for words have more power than atomic bombs.”
How have words figured into your life? What experiences with words can you recall for yourself or your children, or with foreign speakers you’ve met?
We may or may not love to shop, but happily or grudgingly we’re all shoppers – for food, clothing, shelter, and those innumerable other purchases we really need or simply want.
Have you had some memorable experiences as a shopper? Have you ever shopped ‘til you dropped, or landed some great bargains? Or have there been times when you’ve suffered buyer’s remorse ?
The first supermarket in the country — a Piggly Wiggly — opened in Memphis, Tennessee in 1916. Since then by choice or necessity, we all shop in supermarkets and hopefully those experiences are uneventful and not unpleasant — or are they?
Have you had some eventful or out-of-the-ordinary adventures — either good or bad — while shopping in supermarkets?
2024 has rammed electoral-year people, places, and events into our hearts, minds, and nerves.
Another election 56 years ago also roared into our national consciousness. The Tet Offensive exposed the failures of the Vietnam War. Hair rocked Broadway with its naked hippiedom.
A white supremacist assassinated Martin Luther King in Memphis. Robert F Kennedy was shot down in Los Angeles. In Chicago a protested 1968 Democratic convention chose Hubert Humphrey over Senator Eugene McCarthy, paving the way for a Nixon victory.
What does that pivotal year mean to you? Think back to 1968 and share forward!
Are some of your best childhood and teenage memories about time spent at amusement parks?
Do you remember when you could intentionally and legally ram another vehicle with your Bumper Car? Or when you could tempt fate on the Big Dipper roller coaster, or ride the Tilt-O-Whirl until your stomach gave up your greasy midway junk food all over your date?
Think back about Amusement Park Memories and share forward!
Ever try to rush anywhere during “rush hour”? Good luck!
If you’ve ever lived or worked in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, Boston — or even Lexington, KY, believe it or not — you might have traffic horror stories that turned into traffic nightmares. Or minimally, days that were upended with important appointments missed.
Think back about Rush Hour is a Misnomer and share forward!
Over the years we’ve all heard the phrase “Sex, drugs, and rock & roll.” That rowdy triad became a slogan, a macho myth, even an advertising hook. How do you view the phrase? Did you identify with its celebratory aspect? Was it a call to rebellion? Did you aspire to embrace all those elements into your life?
Think back about Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll and share forward!
Tattoos and body piercing have been traditionally practiced in many cultures for millennia.
But in ours it was usually just sailors who were tattooed, and women’s ears that were pierced – that is until recently. Now tattoos and piercings seem ubiquitous!
Are you inked or pierced? Are your friends or your kids? Do you find those practices appealing or distasteful?
Think back about Tattoos and Piercings and share forward!
