As Baby Boomers, we have seen our share of troubled times, but laughter can help us let off steam. What have you done to appreciate the humor in your circumstances and not take yourself too seriously? Think back … to funny friends, amusing incidents, or even comedy sketches that eased you through a tough time. Or, recall a tense situation that someone defused by an intentionally or unintentionally hilarious comment. Share your Comic Relief stories forward.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Most of us have experienced regret at one time or another … over something we have said or done, or over something we have not said or done. Some regrets are fleeting, others last a lifetime; some have little effect, some are life changing. Think back … to a lost opportunity, however big or small, and what you would have done differently. Share your Regrets stories forward.
Piles of pumpkins sitting in the September sun outside of grocery stores. Candy and costume displays dominating Target as soon as kids go back to school. Young adults now spending more money on costumes than any other age group. Will the pandemic put a dent in people’s plans to celebrate? Think back … when did Halloween become such a huge commercial holiday? How did you celebrate it growing up or with your own family as an adult? Share your Trick or Treat stories forward.
Life has handed us “lemons” over time, with the last two years giving us more than our share of lemons to deal with. While setbacks are unavoidable, it’s possible to make lemonade from them, or perhaps recognize that a lemon can be a gift in disguise. Think back … about a past negative circumstance that you or someone you know turned into something positive or later realized was good after all. Share your Lemons to Lemonade stories forward.
From the time we started to drive, we had to worry about parking. Learning how to parallel park, avoiding parking lot collisions, acquiring monthly spaces in an office or apartment building. Then there was the other kind of “parking” – with a romantic interest in a secluded spot. Think back … to your experiences in driving or romance, as a teen or an adult. Share your parking stories forward.
