As we head into the final ten days before the election, there’s a good chance many of us are adorned with buttons, pins, and badges. Boomers likely have collections of them, dating back decades, for various causes and candidates. Think back … What are some of your favorites? Why did you wear them? Were the candidates or causes successful? What were you saying about yourself by wearing them? Share your buttons, pins, and badges stories forward. Start Writing Read Stories

This prompt goes live on Halloween, which is also three days before the election. Both of these can be scary occasions, in different ways. Think back … were there elections in the past that still haunt you? Even if you are not haunted, is there a past election that is memorable to you? Share your ghosts of elections past stories forward. Start Writing

The phrase "practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty" was written by Anne Herbert on a placemat in a Sausalito, California restaurant in 1982. These words jumped from bumper stickers to stories published in newspapers to classroom assignments. In this era of divisiveness and distrust, random acts of kindness restore our faith in caring and compassion. Think back … have you given, received, or observed random acts of kindness? What feelings were evoked? Share your random acts of kindness stories forward. Start Writing

Fads come on suddenly and are short-lived. Think pole sitting, goat yoga, and certain diets. Trends tend to have a little more staying power, as in fashion and style, music and art, speech and expressions. Think back … tell us about one of your favorite fads or trends, or one of your least favorite. And if you find yourself overwhelmed with possibilities — or with life in general these days — consider limiting your story to just 100 words. Capture a moment, an event, or a feeling in what’s called flash writing, a somewhat new trend that’s trickier than it sounds but oddly satisfying. Share your fads and trends stories forward. Start Writing

This prompt goes live five days before Thanksgiving. As we head into the holidays, with COVID-19 still very much a factor in our lives, how do you plan to celebrate, if at all? Think back … to your favorite celebrations of Thanksgiving, Chanukah, Christmas, or New Year in the days when people could get together freely, and the contrast with this year. Share your pandemic holidays (or any holidays) stories forward. Start Writing

We grew up in an analog world when computers took up a room and hardly affected our day-to-day lives. To communicate, we used typewriters and pens, and dialed a telephone and it just … rang. For entertainment, we listened to records. When traveling, we unfolded maps. To find information, we opened the encyclopedia. Think back … which pre-computer items or technologies do you miss? Which ones are you happy to see gone? Share your life before computers stories forward. Start Writing Read Stories

For most of our time on this planet, we have gone barefoot. Shoes evolved as utilitarian protection for our feet, but now they’re fashion statements, links to how we identify ourselves, and even status symbols. Did you wear penny loafers, with or without the pennies? Ever splurge on Air Jordans or Chuck Taylors? Maybe you're on a first name basis with Manolo or revel in revealing the red sole of a Louboutin? From clogs to Crocs, from sneakers to stilettos, think back ... about the memorable shoes in your life and the role they played. Tell us about a special pair, or entertain us with vignettes featuring some of your favorites. Share your shoes stories forward. Start Writing Read Stories

In the previous prompt we asked you to write about a rite of passage that marked a significant transition in your own life. Now we'd like you to think about the final rite of passage for a loved one, a friend, or an acquaintance. Think back . . . what type of ceremony was held, if any, for the person who died? Were you involved in the planning, one of the mourners, or even just a casual observer? What kind of final farewell do you want to have when your time is up? Share your final farewell stories forward. Start Writing Read Stories

All cultures celebrate rites of passage marking coming of age and other significant life transitions…walkabouts and vision quests come to mind. Here in the U.S., we baby boomers have experienced a wealth of our own cultural ceremonies and celebrations — bar or bat mitzvahs, quinceañeras, Sweet Sixteens, graduations, weddings, baby showers, birthdays, and retirement parties. Some rites of passage may be acknowledged more privately, like coming out and transitioning. Think back and pick one of your own rites of passage…did the experience bring about a noticeable shift in your way of looking at life? Was it what you expected, better, worse, or just different? How did it affect the rest of your life? Share your rites of passage stories forward. Start Writing Read Stories

Besides keeping ourselves physically fit, people of a certain age are now encouraged to exercise our brains to keep them healthy. While they might not eliminate all those dreaded senior moments, brain games such as crossword puzzles and Sudoku are supposed to help stave off cognitive decline. Think back … Do you remember the previous generation exercising their brains? If so, how? What brain games are you playing to stay sharp? Or do you knit or dance instead? Share your brain games stories forward. Start Writing Read Stories