Moving Day is a memorable event for most people. For children, it can be very traumatic. At other points in life, it can be exciting, terrifying, or a mixture of both. Research tells us that moving is one of the top stressors that a person can experience in a lifetime, right up there with divorce, job loss, or death of a loved one. Think back… Do you remember moving as a child? What were your moving day experiences like as an adult? How about downsizing moves for older adults? Share your moving day stories forward.
Start Writing
Read Stories
This Week's Prompt
Moving Day (8 Stories)
Moving Day is a memorable event for most people. For children, it can be very traumatic. At other points in life, it can be exciting, terrifying, or a mixture of both. Research tells us that moving is one of the top stressors that a person can experience in a lifetime, right up there with divorce, job loss, or death of a loved one. Think back… Do you remember moving as a child? What were your moving day experiences like as an adult? How about downsizing moves for older adults? Share your moving day stories forward.
Start Writing
Read Stories
Upcoming Prompts
Super Bowl (2 Stories)
Football fans or not, we can’t deny the Super Bowl’s cultural impact over the last 54 years. Think back to earlier games… were you pumped about your favorite team, or did you watch just the commercials and half-time show? This time, for Super Bowl LIV, will you enjoy the party atmosphere and snacks, or will you avoid the entire spectacle? Share your Super Bowl stories forward.
Start Writing
Retirement (3 Stories)
Ten thousand baby boomers retire every day. Think back ... What's your image of retirement and where did it come from? What were your parents' and grandparents' retirements like? Have you retired? If so, what's it like? If not, do you plan to? How do you envision it? Will you be able to survive financially? Is there a downside to retirement? Share your retirement stories forward.
Start Writing
Children’s TV Shows
From Howdy Doody to Sesame Street, children’s television shows have had an influence on every generation. Think back . . . What were your favorite shows when you were a child? Did you write on the magic screen with Winky Dink? Or go to the Treasure House with Captain Kangaroo? How do shows from our era compare to those watched by your children or grandchildren? Share your children’s TV shows stories forward.
Start Writing
Family Myths (1 Story)
Family myths abound in most families. There are stories passed down over generations, tales shared by grandparents, parents, and siblings. Some family myths don’t pass the truthiness test or have become exaggerated over time. Think back… What are some of the family myths you grew up with as a child that may or may not be true? Are there secrets lurking in your family tree? What stories have you perpetuated by sharing them with your children? Share your family myths stories forward.
Start Writing
Past Prompts
Snail Mail (8 Stories)
Once communication came in stamped letters, postcards, or aerograms, delivered by the post office. Snail mail, as we now call it, was slow but left us with letters to keep. Think back … What were your experiences with the US mail when you were young? Did you have a pen pal, write love letters, collect stamps? Do your kids and grandkids use snail mail at all? Share your story of snail mail forward.
Start Writing
Read Stories
Tracking People Down (9 Stories)
Have you ever searched for someone you have lost touch with, maybe a long-lost friend, ex, work associate, or distant relative? Or maybe someone searched for and found YOU. Tracking someone down can lead to a trip down memory lane, a one-way street, a dead end, or the open road. Think back ... was there a time that you were either a tracker or a trackee? For better or worse, share your tracking people down story forward.
Start Writing
Read Stories
Get Organized (9 Stories)
January is Get Organized month. Getting organized is a lofty goal, but not easy for most. We are told by Marie Kondo to tidy up and get rid of things that do not bring us joy. Easier said than done as boomers try to downsize and organize a lifetime of clutter and possessions. Think back… What are the possessions that are hardest for you to part with? Have you made efforts to organize your books, photos, papers, and your life? Share your get organized stories forward.
Start Writing
Read Stories
The New Year (6 Stories)
For many, the new year is a time for resolutions and reflections on the previous year, and starting a new decade is a big deal. For others, January 1, 2020 is just another day. Do you go out to celebrate, count down the seconds, or ignore the whole thing? Think back… how did you recognize the new year in the past? Do you have a favorite New Year’s story? Share your stories about the new year forward.
Start Writing
Read Stories
Quick Take: New Movies (7 Stories)
It’s almost Oscar time, and all the movie studios are coming out with their heavy hitters. What was your favorite movie of 2019, or the one you think will win the Oscar? We call this kind of prompt a “quick take,” designed to elicit stories you can write in 15 minutes or less. Share your new movies story forward.
Start Writing
Read Stories