The toughest task I had to do as a medic in the Air Force Reserve was taking footprints of aircrew

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the July 8, 2026 Pioneer Toastmasters Club meeting in Boise I was the Table Topics Master. The meeting theme chosen by our Toastmaster Brian Reublineger was The Toughest Job You Will Ever Love [from the Peace Corps, where he once had been a volunteer]. So, I prepared and used the following job-related questions:

 

What was the toughest job or project that you ever had?

 

What is your current job? What do you love or hate about it?

 

What was the best (or worst) project you ever worked on?

 

What was the best (or worst) job that you ever had?

 

At your current job, what was the best (or worst) day you ever had?

 

At your first job, what was the best (or worst) day you ever had?

 

From 1972 to 1978 I served as a medic in the Air Force Reserve. The clinic I worked at once weekend a month did flight physicals. The toughest task I ever had to do was taking footprints of aircrew. A Student Report, 88-2610, from April 1988 by Gary M. Triplett at the Air Command and Staff College titled Use of a Computer-Assisted Identification System in the Identification of the Remains of Deceased USAF Personnel said:

 

“The DOD has recognized the applicability of fingerprints, footprints, and dental comparison for the scientific identification of deceased active duty personnel for some time. In 1959, the USAF began footprinting of all aircrew members. The footprints are to be used for remains identification to supplement the fingerprints obtained from all active duty members when they enter service.

 

The footprints of USAF personnel performing flight duty recorded as a permanent part of the member’s medical record on AF FM 137, Footprint Record, are reviewed for accuracy and currency during each flight physical.”

 

Both footprints were taken on a single record card using printers ink rolled onto a glass plate. But the Air Force manual describing footprinting was vague about how to get the inking right. Luckily I found out that the United States Secret Service had a publication, a 14-page Guide to Taking Palm Prints published in 1972, with the following succinct explanation:

 

“STEP 1: PREPARATION OF INKING PLATE

 

In order to obtain clear, legible palm-prints, fingerprint ink must be spread on the inking plate in a thin, uniform coat. This can best be accomplished by placing a daub or two of ink on the plate (Figure 2). The ink can be spread evenly over the entire plate by rolling the ink roller back and forth over the plate until the desired consistency is obtained. (Figures 3 and 4.) The proper thickness of the ink may be judged by placing a slip of white paper under the inked glass plate. If the ink is of the desired thickness, the outline of the paper will be barely visible.”

 

An image of soles came from Wikimedia Commons.

 

 

You can get writing prompts from The Amazing Story Generator flipbook

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On December 15, 2020 I blogged about Using writing prompts to get unstuck. And on November 12, 2022 I blogged about how Writing prompts also can be used for Table Topics questions.

 

There is a useful 2012 spiral-bound flipbook by Jason Sacher titled The Amazing Story Generator: Creates Thousands of Writing Prompts and subtitled Mix-and-match creative writing prompts. As shown above, there are three phrases which can be separately flipped to assemble a single sentence writing prompt. I got a copy from the juvenile section at the main Boise Public Library downtown.

 

The book was discussed in a brief article at CreativTeach on January 14, 2015 titled The Amazing Story Generator: It’s Actually Amazing. And there is a nine-minute YouTube video from N. V. Rivera on March 13, 2020 titled Writing Prompt 11 The Amazing Story Generator.

 

 

Dinner Talk is a book of 365 useful conversation starters (Table Topics questions)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On November 21, 2022 I blogged about how Conversation Starters can also be used for Table Topics questions. Then, on January 3, 2026, I blogged about 135 Conversation Starters (or Table Topics Questions) from the Family Dinner Project.

 

Via interlibrary loan, from the Twin Falls Public Library I obtained a useful book from 2010 by Emily Hall, Philip S. Hall, and Nancy D. Hall titled Dinner Talk: 365 Engaging Conversation Starters to help you and your family connect. It also is subtitled that THERE’S MORE TO SAY THAN JUST “please pass the salt.” There is a Google Books preview. Along with each starter there is a paragraph on What to Expect. For example, Number 209 is How would you describe yourself in five words or less? and What to Expect is:

 

“Expect your children to describe themselves with five positive words that tell about their physical characteristics and attributes like strong, fast, tall, skinny, etc., because these are the characteristics that children are most focused on -the physical and visual. They are most tuned into how people look and haven’t yet learned to be as aware of inner characteristics, at least not in ways they can verbalize quickly. Adolescents will describe themselves in five words that tell how they hope they are perceived by their peers: cool, hip, smart, nice, etc. The adults at the table will describe themselves in five words that tell about their core values: honest, dependable, industrious, etc.” 

 

A dinner of red beans and rice came from Wikimedia Commons.

 

A 2011 book by Bryan Cohen with 1,000 Creative Writing Prompts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table Topics is the impromptu speaking section in a Toastmasters club meeting where members provide one-to-two-minute answers to questions. On November 12, 2022 I blogged about how Writing prompts can also be used for Table Topics questions.

 

At the Garden City Public Library I found a 120-page book from 2011 by Bryan Cohen titled 1,000 Creative Writing Prompts: Ideas for blogs, scripts, stories and more. His thirteen categories are:

 

Holidays

Seasons

Memories

Life

Health

For the Kids

Literature and Genre

Art

Sports

The Outdoors

The Modern World

The Weird

General

 

The writing hand cartoon was adapted from OpenClipArt.  

 

An e-book with over 900 Story Prompts (aka Table Topics Questions) for Nonprofits

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On May 15, 2024 I blogged about My workshop presentation at the 2024 District 15 Toastmasters Conference on May 18, 2024 about Creating or Finding Great Table Topics Questions. Story Prompts are one type of question.

 

There is a 56-page pdf e-book by Chris Davenport from 2023 titled Story Prompts for Nonprofits: 900+ storytelling prompts for attracting new donors, generating media buzz, connecting with your community, and deepening relationships with donors!

 

One large series of Story Prompts for Different Categories of Nonprofits with twenty for each of the following 17 categories [340] is:

 

Advocating

Animals

Arts

Children’s Hospital

Community Foundation

Dog and Cat Shelters

Environmental

Foreign Aid

Healthcare

Higher Education

Independent Schools

K-12 Schools

Museums and History

Political 

Religious

Social Services

Theater

 

Another large series of Story Prompts Based on Types of Beneficiaries and Help Provided with twenty for each of the following 29 categories [580; 580 + 340 = 920] is:

 

Cancer

Clean Water

Climate Change

Community Service

Disabled

Domestic Violence

Drug and Alcohol Addiction

Families in Need

Feeding the Hungry

Holiday Season

Homeless

Human Services

Job Provider

Land Conservation

Legal Aid

Low-Income Housing

Medical Device Provider

Music Programs

Political Action

Research

Scholarship Programs

Senior citizens

Sports

Technology Provider

Therapy

Transportation Services

Veterans

World Events

 

The image was modified from this one at OpenClipArt.

 

135 Conversation Starters (or Table Topics Questions) from the Family Dinner Project

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back on November 21, 2022 I blogged about how Conversation Starters can also be used for Table Topics questions at a Toastmasters club meeting.

 

There is a web site called the Family Dinner Project that has a 6-page pdf article from 2020 listing 135 Conversation Starters. The first dozen questions are:

 

  1] What’s something you couldn’t do when you were younger that you can do now?

 

  2] If you had superpowers, what would they be and how would you use them to help people?

 

  3] What’s one fun thing you hope to do in the next year?

 

  4] Who is your favorite character from a book, movie, or TV show?

 

  5] If you could be an animal, what would you want to be? Why?

 

  6] If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you want to live? Why?

 

  7] If you could have a character from a book or movie as a best friend, who would it be? Why?

 

  8] What are three things you’re good at doing that took a lot of hard work and practice?

 

  9] What’s the greatest song ever written and why?

 

10] Do you have a favorite piece of clothing? What makes it special?

 

11] What is your favorite season? What do you like about it?

 

12] If you were a season, which season would you be and why?

 

There also is a post from Bri DeRosa at The Family Dinner Project blog on August 29, 2023 titled 100 Ways to Ask About the Day.

 

I found out about the Family Dinner Project from page 146 in a 2024 book by Michael Norton titled The Ritual Effect: From habit to ritual, harness the surprising power of everyday actions.

 

An image of a dinner table in Kew Palace came from Wikimedia Commons.

 

15 excellent Table Topics questions from the end of a 2024 book by Jennifer McGaha titled The Joy Document

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table Topics is an impromptu speaking section in a Toastmasters club meeting. Members (and perhaps guests) are asked a question and then answer it via a one-to-two minute off-the-cuff speech.    

 

I have been skimming through a 198-page book from 2024 by Jennifer McGaha titled The Joy Document: Creating a Midlife of Surprise and Delight. There is a Google Books preview ending on page 13. At the end, on pages 195 and 196, there is a section titled Guiding Questions: Creating Your Own Joy Document. These are writing prompts or Table Topics questions. The second paragraph begins:

 

"….Finding joy is a lot like that – a waiting game. A watching game. A smidgeon-of-this-and-a-sprinkling-of-that game. Still, you have to start somewhere, so below are some questions designed to help you begin your own Joy Document. Of course, this is not an exhaustive list of questions to consider, but perhaps these can serve as starting points. And who knows? You may begin with something small, a song you love, a saying you find intriguing, an awkward interaction with a man on a trail or at a produce stand or along a canal, and one joyful moment will inspire another and another until you have a whole Joy Dissertation, a Joy Treatise, a Joy Manifesto, a Joy Declaration.

 

Feast for a moment on that.

 

  1] What song(s) do you associate with pivotal times in your life, and why?

 

  2] Think about a favorite family recipe. Whom do you associate with the recipe? What events? What feelings? When do you make this food? Have you changed the recipe at all from the original? Why or why not?

 

  3] When in your life has a surprise risen to the level of a surprisement?

 

  4] Consider a time when an encounter with someone else caused you to think more deeply about a social/cultural/political issue that matters to you.

 

  5] Discuss a strange/awkward/unexpected interaction with a stranger that led you to consider something in a new way.

 

  6] In what way have your beliefs served as a source of joy/comfort for you?

 

  7] Point to a moment when something you once deeply believed changed irrevocably.

 

  8] How have your interactions with animals and/or the natural world shaped what you believe?

 

  9] Discuss a time when you learned something you didn’t know you needed to learn.

 

10] Discuss a time when you said literally or in spirit) ‘fuck it’ to something, when you let go of something that was interfering with your happiness.

 

11] Discuss a time when you took a chance you’re now glad you took.

 

12] What are some stories you have told yourself about your life that might not be fully true? How might revising those stories change you?

 

13] If you considered your body a sacred space, how might that change how you move in the world?

 

14] What big questions seem most pressing to you in this season of your life? What is it you most want to know?

 

15] In what way might wondering (the verb – i.e., wanting to know something) lead to wonder (the noun – i.e., a sense of awe)?"

 

If you are wondering what a surprisement is (Question 3), that is explained in the first paragraph of the 21st essay, Suprisement, beginning on page 77:

 

 “One evening, READING a student essay, I came across the phrase ‘much to my surprisement,’ which naturally surprised me, what with grammar-check and spell-check and all, but the more I thought about it, the more I came to appreciate the writer’s intent. After all, surprise is akin to amaze and astonish and bewilder and excite and wonder, all which could be amended with ‘ment’ to indicate not just a transitory sensation or static thing but a whole state of being. Why should surprise be any different? The more I considered it, the more sense it made, and the more sense it made, the more shortsighted my blue-inked circle around the word appeared.”

 

The cartoon was adapted from one at OpenClipArt.

 

 

Conversations are discussed in an excellent new book by Alison Wood Brooks titled Talk: The science of conversation and the art of being ourselves

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

On August 16, 2025 I blogged about Fifty excellent Table Topics questions from the appendix to Alison Wood Brooks’s 2025 book Talk: The science of conversation and the art of being ourselves. She also has an article on pages 28 and 29 in the August 2025 issue of Toastmaster Magazine titled Ask More, Better Questions.

 

Starting on page 12 of her book Alison says:

 

“The potential reasons for conversational engagement are vast. I find it helps to visualize them plotted on what we’ll call the conversational compass (see the figure on page 13).[My color version is shown above].

 

The conversational compass organizes what we are trying to do in all the many conversations that make up our social worlds. The relational axis runs east-west and captures the extent to which we care about serving the collective versus ourselves. High-relational purposes seek to create value for everyone in the conversation (such as when you want to make your partner laugh, help them solve a problem, or teach them something new), while low-relational purposes seek to claim value for the self (such as when you want to vent, express your own views, or exit the conversation.

 

The informational axis runs north-south. It captures the extent to which we are aiming for accurate information exchange. Many people assume that information exchange is the main reason we talk to each other – sharing information is why humans learned to communicate, after all. But assuming or over-focusing on information exchange can be misguided. Think of how often you have wanted to guard information rather than share it, how often you have sought to avoid making a hard decision, or how often you have wanted a conversation to feel easy rather than informative. Those are low-informational purposes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Each of the four quadrants of the compass contains appropriate, worthy, virtuous motives for different moments, which are reflected in the positive labels we give the quadrants: Connect, Savor, Protect, and Advance. We live- we do things with words – in all four quadrants.” [My color version is shown above]. Each chapter ends with a summary of three takeaways.

 

TAKEAWAYS FROM THE COORDINATION GAME: [Chapter 1, page 23]

“The idea of conversation has evolved over time and place. Today it helps to think of it as a coordination game.

Conversational goals can be plotted on the conversational compass along two dimensions: informational and relational.

The TALK maxims – Topics, Asking, Levity, Kindness – are reminders to help people achieve their goals, one conversation at a time.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is a three-level topic pyramid on page 43. My color version is shown above.

 

TAKEAWAYS FROM T IS FOR TOPICS: [Chapter 2, page 55]

“Topics are the building blocks of conversation.

Small talk isn’t the enemy. Getting stuck on any one topic for too long, especially topics at the base of the topic pyramid, is the enemy.

Topic prep is your best friend.”

 

TAKEAWAYS FROM A IS FOR ASKING: [Chapter 3, page 87]

“Aim to ask more questions. Asking even insincere questions is a form of caring, and asking too many questions is rare.

Use caution with boomerasking, gotcha questions, and repeated questions.

Do ask topic-switching questions to change topics and follow-up questions to learn more,"   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Chapter 4, L is for Levity on page 94 she says that:

 

“And when it comes to thinking deeply about feelings, scholars find it helpful to take the complex constellation of human emotions and plot them on two simple dimensions: arousal (high versus low physical signals of energy, like heart rate) and valence (pleasure versus displeasure. All emotions – whether experienced during conversation or outside it – can be plotted on this chart of emotions. Here’s where some common feelings fall.” [My color version is shown above.]

 

TAKEAWAYS FROM L IS FOR LEVITY: [Chapter 4, page 117]

“Find the fun, rather than trying to be funny.

Give compliments effusively.

Don’t just grunt – LAUGH!”

 

TAKEAWAYS FROM K IS FOR KINDNESS: [Chapter 5, page 148]

“Kindness takes work. Focus on your partner’s needs before your own.

Speak respectfully. Aim to make others feel seen and known, good to be with, and worthy of care.

Listen responsively. Put in the effort to listen, and show it with your words.”

 

TAKEAWAYS FROM MANY MINDS: [Chapter 6, page 178]

“Conversation in groups is categorically different from and even more complicated than conversation in dyads. (Don’t feel bad if it feels chaotic).

Be aware of the status hierarchy in a group, which can change, even from one topic to the next.

Foster a stewardship mindset.”

 

TAKEAWAYS FROM DIFFICULT MOMENTS: [Chapter 7, page 218]

“Differences – in words, emotions, motives, and identities – can all cause moments of difficulty in conversation.

Use the receptiveness recipe – acknowledge, affirm, validate, hedge, aim to learn -to engage with opposing viewpoints.

Use situation modification and reframing when emotions get hot.”

 

TAKEAWAYS FROM APOLOGIES: [Chapter 8, page 249]

“Apologies are remarkably powerful.

Apologize frequently and sincerely – don’t make it about yourself.

Promise to change, then do what you’ve promised.”

 

 

Fifty excellent Table Topics questions from the appendix to Alison Wood Brooks’s 2025 book Talk: The science of conversation and the art of being ourselves

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table Topics is the impromptu speaking part of a Toastmasters club meeting. Members each are asked a question and then answer via a one-to-two minute off-the-cuff speech.  On May 15, 2024 I blogged about My workshop presentation at the 2024 District 15 Toastmasters Conference on May 18, 2024 about Creating or Finding Great Table Topics Questions. In that post I described how great questions often are found under other phrases than just ”Table Topics Questions.”

 

A section of the appendix in the 2025 book by Alison Wood Brooks titled Talk: The science of conversation and the art of being ourselves beginning on page 265 is titled Some Topics to Try.  On pages 267 to 269 she lists Fifty Topics That You Could Raise With Anyone:

 

[01] What do you do for work? What do you like about it?

[02] What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

[03] Did you do any sports or clubs in high school?

[04] Why do you participate in online studies?

[05] Do you have any plans for the weekend?

[06] What’s something random about you?

[07] Have you read anything interesting recently?

[08] Have you tried anything new recently that was particularly fun?

[09] Are you a religious person? Why?

[10] What games have you played in the past that are most memorable?

 

[11] What is your favorite kind of music?

[12] How do you most enjoy spending time with your family? 

[13] Do you have any fruit trees, plants, or a garden?

[14] What’s your favorite movie?

[15] Do you have any plans for the rest of the day?

[16] Do you like where you live or do you want to move?

[17] Do you travel much?

[18] What do you enjoy doing when the weather is beautiful?

[19] Do you have a favorite type of food?

[20] For what in your life are you most grateful? Why?

 

[21] What was an embarrassing moment in your life?

[22] What’s the strangest thing about where you grew up?

[23] Who is the luckiest person you know? Why?

[24] If you could teleport by blinking your eyes, where would you go right now?

[25] What is the last professional sports game or match you watched?

[26] What is the last concert you attended? Why?

[27] If you had to perform music in front of a crowd, what would you do?

[28] What TV show have you watched recently?

[29] What’s the cutest thing you’ve seen a baby or child do?

[30] Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?

 

[31] Would you like to be famous? In what way?

[32] Before making a telephone call, do you ever rehearse what you are going to say? Why?

[33] What would constitute a ‘perfect’ day for you?

[34] When did you last sing to yourself? To someone else?

[35] If you were able to live to age of ninety and retain either the mind or body of a thirty-year-old for the last sixty years of your life, which would you want?

[36] Do you have a secret hunch about how you will die?

[37] If you could change anything about the way you were raised, what would it be?

[38] If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one quality or ability, what would it be?

[39] Is there something that you’ve dreamed of doing for a long time? Why haven’t you done it?

[40] What is the greatest accomplishment of your life?

 

[41] What do you value most in a friendship?

[42] If you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, would you change anything about the way you now are living? Why?

[43] What does friendship mean to you?

[44] How close and warm is your family? Do you feel your childhood was happier than most other people’s?

[45] How do you feel about your relationship with your mother?

[46] When did you last cry in front of another person? By yourself?

[47] What, if anything, is too serious to be joked about?

[48] If you were to die this evening with no opportunity to communicate with anyone, what would you most regret not having told someone? Why haven’t you told them yet?

[49] Your house, containing everything you own, catches fire. After saving your loved ones and pets, you have time to safely make a final dash to save any one item, what would it be? Why?

[50] Of all the people in your family, whose death would you find most disturbing? Why?  

 

Also, on page 270 she lists her Ten Go-To Topics to Raise with Strangers:

 

{01} What are you excited about lately?

{02} What is something you’re good at but don’t like doing?

{03} What’s something you’re bad at but love to do?

{04} Is there something you’d like to learn more about?

{05} Is there something you’d like to learn how to do?

{06} What can we celebrate about you?

{07} Has someone made you laugh recently? What happened?

{08} What is something cute your {kid/friend/pet/partner} has been doing recently?

{09} Did you grow up in a city?

{10} Have you fallen in love with any new {music/books/movies/shows} lately?

 

 

Fifty questions for a first date which also can be used in Table Topics at a Toastmasters club meeting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yesterday was Valentine’s Day. Back on February 12, 2018 I had blogged about Falling in love and Table Topics questions. A half-dozen articles in the last six months describe sets of fifty or more first-date questions which also can be used for the impromptu Table Topics section at a Toastmasters club meeting.

 

One article by Sanjana Gupta at VeryWellMind on September 18, 2024 is titled 50 First Date Questions to Make a Great Impression. Hers are divided into three categories:

 

Casual and Light-Hearted Questions [20]

Deep and Meaningful Questions [20]

Questions for Navigating Awkward Silences [10]

 

A second article by Chanel Campbell at The Glowing Muse on October 28, 2024 is titled 50 Good Questions to Ask on a First Date. Hers are divided into five categories:

 

Ice-Breaker First Date Questions [10]

Funny First Date Questions [10]

Flirty First Date Questions [10]

Deep and Meaningful Questions [10]

Light-hearted First Date Questions [10]

 

A third article by Emily Weaver at PopSugar on January 29, 2025 is titled 70+ First-Date Questions to Keep the Conversation Moving. Her six categories with 76 are:

 

Funny First-Date Questions [11]

Important First-Date Questions [12]

Ice-Breaker First-Date Questions [15]

Flirty First-Date Questions [12]

Serious First-Date Questions [14]

Would-You-Rather First-Date Questions [12]

 

A fourth article at Lifebulb on February 4, 2025 that has 58 questions is titled First Date Questions to Get to Know Someone Deeper. There are four categories:

 

Ice Breaker Questions [10]

Questions to Get to Know Someone [10]

Deep Conversation Starters [20]

Compatibility Questions [18]

 

A fifth article by Jenna Ryu at SELF on February 12, 2025 is titled 50 Non-Awkward Questions for a First Date That’ll Actually Spark a Connection. Her three categories are

 

If you want to start off light and casual [14]

If you’re looking to learn more about them – without overstepping [20]

If you’re ready to suss out your compatibility [16]

 

A sixth article by Isabelle Eyman at Camille Styles on February 14, 2025 is titled 50 Thoughtful First Date Questions That Skip the Small Talk. Her five categories are:

 

Getting to Know Each Other [10]

Personal Interests and Hobbies [10]

Life Values and Beliefs [10]

Fun and Lighthearted Questions to Ask on a First Date [10]

Future Goals and Ambitions [10]

 

Her ten about getting to know each other are:

 

 1] What’s the best book you’ve read recently?

 2] How would you describe your perfect day?

 3] What’s something you’re passionate about?

 4] What’s one thing you’ve always wanted to try but haven’t yet?

 5] Do you have a favorite childhood memory that still makes you smile?

 6] What’s your favorite way to spend a weekend?

 7] If you could lve anywhere in the world for a year, where would it be?

 8] What’s the most unusual job you’ve ever had?

 9] Who or what inspires you most?

10] What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

 

I have a good reply to the eighth question. When I was serving as a medic I once had to take footprints of all our aircrew. (Footprints are one way to identify the dead after a crash and fire). I mentioned that on November 10, 2024 when I blogged about Some memories of the Air Force Reserve – for Veterans Day. The Air Force manual had vague and useless advice about inking the glass plate used for prints. But the Treasury Department had a manual on Palm Prints with great specific advice: just put a sheet of white paper beneath the glass, and then ink until you can barely see the paper. Problem solved.

 

The silhouette came from Openclipart.

 

Another 2,401 prompts for writing and storytelling

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A writing prompt (or story prompt) is a brief topical suggestion to help us get started. There is a 46-page pdf e-book by Stevan Krajnjan titled 1000 Quick Writing Ideas.

 

And there is a free 56-page e-book by Chris Davenport from 2023 titled Story Prompts for Nonprofits that is a nonprofit storytelling conference publication subtitled 900+ storytelling prompts for attracting new donors, generating media buzz, connecting with your community, and deepening relationships with donors!

 

There is also a 181-page pdf e-book from LearningExpress in 2003 titled 501 Writing Prompts.

 

On November 12, 2022 I blogged about how Writing Prompts also can be used for Table Topics questions at Toastmasters club meetings. And on May 15, 2024 I blogged about My workshop presentation at the 2024 District 15 Toastmasters Conference on May 18, 2024 about Creating or Finding Great Table Topics Questions.

Your impromptu speech topic is in the bag. Put your hand in there and feel, but don’t look.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table Topics is the impromptu speaking portion of a Toastmasters club meeting. Last night at the Pioneer Toastmasters Club meeting in Boise Brian Reublinger (DTM) was the Table Topics Master. He had a row of numbered paper lunch bags. Participants picked a number and got one. Then they were to put a hand inside and feel the object there, but not look at it until after giving their one-to-two-minute speech.

 

I had never seen that type of question before. But it was described by Central Valley Toastmasters Club in an article titled 50 Fun Table Topics:

 

“#12

Have an object in a bag that the Table Topics speaker has to feel and describe to the club. The club then guesses what was described. Alternatively, the respondent may look at the object before describing it.”

 

And it is a variation on one described by Mark Lavergne at District 6 Toastmasters in another article titled 101 Ideas for Great Table Topics:

 

“ ’Whatchamacallit’ #3 – Trust Your Feelings

Table Topics respondents are given an opportunity reach into a bag of assorted objects and pick an object to feel. The respondent leaves the object in the bag and describes it merely by feel.”

 

 

More about active listening

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Matt Carpenter was Toastmaster for the October 16, 2024 of the Pioneer Toastmasters Club in Boise. His theme was active listening. I was Table Topics Master, so I had to come up with a half-dozen questions about that topic. I emailed Matt that I had blogged about active listening in a post on August 8, 2021 titled Learning to listen actively. In that post I had linked to a two-page pdf article from the Office of the Ombuds at Boston University from October 2016 titled Active Listening. I suggested that Matt might use it as a handout, and he shrunk both pages and put it on the back of the meeting agenda. The first page lists four categories:

 

Paraphrasing

Clarifying

Reflecting

Summarizing

 

Each is discussed succinctly in a table listing What It’s Called, How to Do It, Why Do It, and Examples of Active Listening Responses. Toastmasters International has a level 3 project on Active Listening in their current Pathways educational program, but it is more vague than the Boston University article.

 

Then I decided to search for more recent information about active listening. There is a 2023 book by Heather R. Younger titled The Art of Active Listening: How people at work feel heard, valued, and understood. She has a 9 page pdf article titled The Cycle of Active Listening: Action planning guide with bonus quiz. She describes a loop with five steps (as shown below):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recognize the Unsaid

Seek to Understand

Decode

Act

Close the Loop

 

Her approach also is discussed at a Carnegie Mellon University article under Civility Initiatives titled What is active listening?

 

There is yet another article by Mary at InPowerCoaching on May 10, 2023 titled Effective listening skills for working on a technical project and to build a collaborative culture. She discusses a method by Julian Treasure called RASA, which stands for:

 

Receive

Appreciate

Summarize

Ask Questions.

 

RASA also is discussed in a five-page pdf article from Julian Treasure. And there is a 29 minute Think Fast Talk Smart podcast by Matt Abrahams at the Stanford Graduate School of Business on November 7, 2023 titled Communication Means Paying attention: The Four Pillars of Active Listening.

 

There is an exhaustively detailed 43-page article by Lindsey P. Gustafson, Aric Short, and Neil W. Hamilton at the Santa Clara Law Review for 2022 titled Teaching and Assessing Active Listening as a Foundational Skill for Lawyers as Leaders, Counselors, Negotiators, and Advocates. They describe how to evaluate understanding of listening via a rubric (evaluation guide) with four sub-competencies as follows:

 

First sub-competency: Active listeners assess and accurately allocate resources necessary to the conversation

 

Second sub-competency: Active listeners work to create a shared understanding with the speaker by considering both the speaker’s and the listener’s lenses and how they may differ

 

Third sub-competency: Active listeners work to increase shared understanding with verbal and nonverbal cues

 

Fourth sub-competency: Active listeners move to a response only after fully exploring and understanding the speaker’s meaning

 

Finally, in 2020 there is an entire book by Debra L Worthington and Graham D. Bodie titled The Handbook of Listening.

 

My cartoon combined two on listening and an ears frame from Openclipart.

 

Thirty questions to engage someone, beyond How Are You?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We can always use open-ended questions for starting conversations, or as topics for impromptu speeches (like Table Topics at a Toastmasters club meeting). There is an article by Wendy Rose Gould at VeryWellMind on August 25, 2024 titled 30 Questions to Engage Someone Beyond ‘How Are You?”

 

With the contractions removed, her thirty questions (for three categories of familiarity) are:

 

Someone You Have Just Met

What is your connection to (this event/the host/this location)?

What do you think about the music/vibe here?

Did you come with anyone, and who are you hoping to meet? (i.e. business contacts, new friends, etc.)

Have you been here before, and what inspired you to attend?

How did you find yourself here today?

What did you think about (specific part of the event, such as a speech, performance, or activity)?

What do you usually order/do here?

How did you find out about this (place/event)?

Have you met anyone here that you thought was especially unique or interesting?

Any big plans for later in the day/tomorrow?

 

Someone You Already Know

What has been going on since the last time we met up?

Whatever happened with (XYZ thing they brought up last time)?

Have you experienced anything new that’s impacted who you are lately?

Anything exciting going on in your life?

Have you learned or discovered anything cool lately?

What are you most excited about in life right now?

Have any new goals or plans you’re working on?

Read/watched anything good since we last met up?

How is (person important to them) doing?

What is a rose (good thing) and a thorn (bad thing) happening in your life right now?

 

Someone You Have Known a Long Time

What has been on your mind and heart lately?

How are you really doing? Is there anything I can do to support you right now?

How have you been doing with (challenge/goal)?

How have you been spending your time, and what have you been investing your energy into lately?

What are you looking forward to today/this week/this weekend?

How is it going with (person important to them)?

Is there anything you have wanted to talk about with me lately?

What was your high and low today?

Any major life or work updates?

Is there anything you would like to share {which] you are proud of that I can celebrate with you?

 

The silhouettes image came from here at Openclipart.