It’s natural for us to want good fortune and avoid bad outcomes, but what’s the difference between that and superstition? When we were younger, we might have steered clear of black cats, tried not to break mirrors, found four-leaf clovers, stroked rabbits’ feet, or worn hamsas. Maybe we still do. Think back … What was your most powerful superstition? Are you still superstitious now? Or, if you weren’t or aren’t superstitious, why not? Share your superstition stories forward.

The sense of smell is closely linked with memory, probably more so than any of our other senses. You might be walking down the street and pick up a scent that takes you back in time to a particular moment. Think back . . . maybe the smell of batter reminds you of your grandmother’s pancakes, or just the thought of a scent conjures a recollection of a certain summer, or a special someone. Share your fragrant flashbacks stories forward.

Long before the internet enabled us to shop at home, there were door-to-door salespeople who rang the bell and came into our living rooms with a case full of products. The Avon Lady, the Fuller Brush Man, and many others traveled around the country selling their wares. Think back . . . Did you ever buy products from a door-to-door salesperson? Did you ever try to support yourself selling products door-to-door? Would you allow a salesperson into your house now? Share your door-to-door sales stories forward.

Freud told us our nightly dreams represent our unconscious desires and thoughts. Disney’s Cinderella sang “A dream is a wish your heart makes.” Eleanor Roosevelt told us, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” But not all dreams are beautiful. Everyone has had anxiety dreams, those repetitive dreams about being naked in public or showing up for an exam in a course you never took. And nightmares, so frightening that you wake up in a sweat or in tears, thankful when you realize it was only a dream. Think back … What were the dreams that were memorable to you, either for good or for bad? Share your dreams stories forward.

Spring brings many celebrations, the biggest of which are Passover and Easter, but there are lots of others, including Purim, St. Patrick’s Day, May Day, and even Major League Baseball opening day. Think back . . . what spring celebrations were the most memorable ones in your childhood? What have you celebrated with your children or grandchildren? Share your spring celebrations stories forward.

We’ve all had close calls, those “Whew!” moments. Maybe you narrowly avoided or survived an accident, an armed robbery, a fire, cancer, a heart attack. Perhaps you had a near death experience, or saved someone else’s life. Or maybe it was a seemingly simple matter of making, or not making, a certain flight or, as Bonnie Raitt sang, “finding love in the nick of time.” Some people describe these types of events as life changing and even feel a deeper sense of purpose in being alive. Think back … to a close call you or someone you know experienced. What happened, and if it changed you, how so? Share your close calls stories forward.

Nicknames can be a shortened form of your formal name, or have nothing to do with it. They can describe your personality or a physical characteristic, or – ironically – exactly the opposite (an “antiphrasis”). Think back … Whether a term of affection or something else, did you have a childhood nickname that stuck even when you’d outgrown it? If you still have a nickname, or have acquired a more recent one, do you embrace it or wish it would just go away? Share your nicknames stories forward.

Bad trip, or coping with COVID? This impromptu prompt gives Retrospecters the option of writing about a traumatic past vacation or the current COVID-19 pandemic. Your story might be one of a travel disaster or an up-to-the minute account of how your community and activities are being shut down. Think back … to past bad vacations or to past epidemics such as polio, AIDS, SARS. Or just talk about how you are dealing with the current crisis and its mandated staycation. Share your hellacious vacation or staycation stories forward. 

There’s nothing quite like that feeling of belonging. Perhaps you joined a club, a troupe, or an organization, or embraced a faith, or maybe you discovered a hobby or interest. Think back . . . to a time when you found yourself part of a “we,” when you connected with a group that made you feel like your best self. Share your finding your tribe stories forward.

Chances are you or someone in your family has been a caregiver, whether for grandparents, parents, children, grandchildren, or even close relatives or friends. You might have embraced this challenge or struggled with it—or maybe both at the same time. Think back … What was caregiving like in the past? How has your caregiving role evolved? Who will take care of you in the future? Share your caregiving stories forward.