On this Fourth of July, think back … How and when did you declare your own independence, and what did it mean to you when you achieved it? Have your children achieved theirs? Do you worry about living independently as you get older? How do you feel about your country on its birthday? Share your stories of independence forward.

“It’s just a piece of paper.” Just as we came of age, weddings seemed to go out of style. Yet most of us eventually tied the knot—at least once. Think back … to your own wedding, or to other memorable unions. Was it unalloyed joy? Everything you dreamed? What do you remember? What would you like to forget? How did the marriage work out? Share your wedding stories forward.

Goodnight Moon. Dr. Seuss. Weekly Reader. Catcher in the Rye. Ms. Magazine. Cat’s Cradle. Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Stranger in a Strange Land. The Women’s Room. The Joy of Sex. Think back … What books and magazines shaped your life? What are your “desert island” books? What unknown book would you recommend to the rest of us? Share your reading stories forward.

Dial phones. Typewriters. Black-and-white TVs (that got three channels). Stick shifts. Pong. Think back … What relic from our past could our grandchildren not possibly imagine today? We call this kind of prompt a quick take, designed to elicit stories you can write in 15 minutes or less. Share that forgotten world forward.