Binges, benders, and sprees have long been associated with negative behavior like excessive drinking, eating, or even shopping. Today, thanks to digital streaming, we binge-watch a new TV series the day it’s released, watching multiple episodes in quick succession for instant gratification and no harmful effects. Think back…what form, if any, has bingeing taken in your life? Are you currently enjoying something binge-worthy? Share your “What are you bingeing?” stories forward.

We are approaching the winter solstice, the darkest time of the year.  Not a great time for those with seasonal affective disorder. Perhaps, the season matches the darkness of our times as we struggle through a pandemic and political chaos. Think back … were you afraid of the dark? Were there times in your life that felt very dark? Share your hello darkness stories forward.

We have all gone through interviews, whether for college, a job, or even an FBI investigation. Our success or failure in those interviews may have affected the course of our lives. Conversely, our interview of someone else may have changed that person’s life. Think back … to one unforgettable interview experience you had, either as the interviewer or interviewee. Share your interviews stories forward.

According to most academic experts, spelling aptitude is a poor way to judge someone’s intelligence, yet jobs are secured and lost in large part because of it. For some of us it comes easy; we even have fun with spelling games. Some of us have a harder time with it, and with good reason: the English language has 205 ways to spell 44 sounds. Think back … how has spelling affected your life, or the life of someone close to you? Share your spelling stories forward.

Volunteering can take many forms for helping the community, from serving as a scout leader or on the PTA, to serving soup to the hungry. Whether working with national organizations or next-door neighbors, volunteers are critical to maintaining a healthy society. Think back … what have been your or your loved ones’ most meaningful volunteering experiences? How has volunteering changed since years past? Is volunteering still valued today? Share your volunteering stories forward.

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’s Eve in the days when people could get together freely, and the contrast with this year. Share your pandemic holidays (or any holidays) stories forward.

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.

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.

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.

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. Baby 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.