“But they’re cousins, identical cousins all the way.” Only on the Patty Duke Show could cousins be identical. But in some families cousins can feel as close as siblings, or even closer. In other families they are little more than strangers. Think back . . . what kind of relationships did you have with your cousins? What about your children and their cousins? Do you have non-relatives that are so close you call them cousins? Share your cousins stories forward.
Charity can take many forms, from giving money, to teaching essential skills, to finding people shelter, to lending a helping hand. Are you involved in charitable work? How do your children or grandchildren feel about charity? In this Thanksgiving season, think back … Were you taught as a child to help the less fortunate? If so, what role did charity play for you and your family? Share your story of charity forward.
Baby books are a traditional way for parents to remember and record the birth of their children and the milestones of their development. Think back… Did your parents create a baby book for you? What was it like? Did you create baby books for your children? What did you include in them? Share your baby books stories forward.
Some people love a surprise, others emphatically do not. Think back . . . When were you truly surprised? Was it something someone said, something someone did, or something you found out? Maybe you surprised someone else, or even yourself. Share your surprise stories forward.
Ageism is a fact of life in our society. And we are at the age when we are vulnerable to it. What stereotypes are associated with being “a certain age”? Have you faced ageism? When and where? Are members of the younger generations more open-minded about the meaning of age? Think back … to experiences in the workplace or elsewhere. Share your stories of ageism forward.
Almost everyone has experienced a crush at one time or another, usually on a person who was, or seemed, out of reach. Think back . . . was there someone you absolutely, positively, adored but did not pursue? Or were you one of the brave ones who did? Did you watch your children suffer through crushes, knowing there was nothing you could do for them? Share your crush stories forward.
Bullying is as old as school yard insults and as new as social media. October is National Bullying Prevention Month, a fitting time to think about the bullies that seem to dominate our lives, both personally and politically. Think back… were you ever the victim of bullying or were you the bully? What motivates bullying and how can it be prevented? Are “mean girls” as mean as ever? Share your bullying stories forward.
October is National Book Month, and October 20-26 is Friends of Libraries Week. Do you generally get your books from the library, or do you buy them? Think back . . . Did you go to the library as a child? Did you take your children? Do you think of libraries as welcoming places, or places where they tell you to shush? Share your library stories forward.
High-tech hacks and scams, from phishing, to ransomware, to worms and viruses, are happening all the time—even to Retrospect with bogus emails. But cons have always been with us, in person and door to door. Have you or loved ones been conned, hacked, or scammed? Maybe you foiled a scam, and if so, how? Think back … to yesterday’s cons or recent cybercrimes. Share your hacks and scams stories forward.
