Start your story with the line ‘Back in my day…’

Posted in Adults on Oct 25, 2022

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✍️ 28 stories

“Like Father, Like Son” by Mister X

“Back in my day...” The words were barely out of my mouth when, as is common these days, I was rudely interrupted.“Back in your day? Geez Dad, you’re 50 not 500.”“That’s the whole point,” I said, attempting to win back a conversation I should never have lost in the first place. “How, in the space of 30 years did we go from there to here?”“From where to where?”“When I got out of college in 1981, there was one country, two genders, ten commandments and endless possibilities. Now there are just excuses. If this is...

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“Captive Audience” by PJ Aitken

Back in my day it was much simpler, people were either alive or dead. When you’re alive, you’re alive and when you’re dead, you’re dead. It’s the Grand Old Duke of York of life and death. Every day is different and nothing stays still but you’d think those two things would remain the same whilst everything evolved around it. My entire life I’ve made a good living from these two facts being set in stone whilst I reaped the rewards. These days the world and its residents above and below have evolved to be cockier and ...

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“Learning to Swim” by Todd Crickmer

Learning to Swim By Todd Crickmer Back in my day … though it is now hard to believe, racial segregation was not just a social norm, it was literally the law of the land. I was reminded of this shameful fact of American history while traveling a Kansas interstate, late one night while traveling from one business meeting, t...

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“In the Darkness, the Light of Freedom” by Robin G. White

Back in my day, I remember mornings like this one when an early squall threatened the day and my anguished pleading seemed to fall on deaf ears. Frustrated, I'd watch the ever graying sky, praying for a ray of hope to beam through the dark clouds and save me from what surely would be a tortuous summer day at home with mother.Those mornings though often found hot pancakes dripping with butter and syrup, dotted with the tiniest of flavorful blueberries, picked along the side of the road, or blackberries, culled from under ...

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“The Do-Over” by Deborah Elliott

The Do-Over Deborah Elliott Back in my day. Cat fur for kitten britches, I’ve done it, I’m back in my day. On Sunday, I’d taken a drive through Rives Junction. When I saw a “for sale” sign in the front yard of an old farmhouse that I had always admired, I stopped to ask about it. I couldn’t imagine the Bishops ever selling the place. They’d been sitting on its ...

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“Freedom?” by Pauline Milner

This is a story of fiction, though it has racial undertones. As such, it may prove sensitive to some people. Meant to teach a lesson rather than spread racism, please excuse any portions that may cause varied emotions among readers. Freedom? “Back in my day, people had different colored skin which caused them no end of trouble....

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“MASKing my nostalgia” by Mark Alan

I am unashamedly a child of the 80's. After speaking to a good friend, he told me that I should start writing short stories and articles featuring different 80's toys/ cartoons, etc. So, with his encouragement and that of my wife, I set out to write this series. So with that in mind, here we go…"back in my day"... To get things started let's go where illusion is the ultimate weapon....

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“Jello Mold Wars” by Bruce Friedman

Back in my day, a dispute in my family, now referred to as the jello mold wars, caused hurt feelings that reverberate to this day. It was the 1950’s and I was a senior in high school, living at home with my folks. My relatives were a tightly knit group, socializing mainly with each other. At that time and even today, our family dinners were frequent and not just on holidays. Very important for my story is that none of these events would have been considered complete without some kind of jello mold on the table. And herein lies my...

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“The Good Old Days” by Patricia Jablonski

Some sensitive material about racism. “Back in my day,” Bob said, “kids could play outside until dark and nobody ever worried about ‘em. In fact mothers would shoo ‘em out ‘a the house and make ‘em stay out playing, telling them to not get under foot. Neighbors knew each other and if a kid did something wrong, you better believe their mother would hear about it quicker ’n you could spit. Mama would say, ...

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“Back in the Day” by George Georgerfrost@gmail.com

People avoided Charles Pickens whenever they could. While he was a charming elderly fellow, his major flaw was starting every conversation he ever had with a friend or stranger “Back in the day…” Didn’t matter none who it was, but Charles, who worked for over thirty years at Catco Farm Supply, would put his thumbs at the corners of his overall straps, rock on his heels and spin a yarn or two depending on the ...

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“Antiques On The Shelf” by Autumn-Rose Oberhammer

“Back in my day, we didn’t have those fancy devices to give to our children,” Grandma Maureen glanced over at Felix and Emma from her usual place at the kitchen table. They were sitting shoulder to shoulder, small legs dangling off the floral-patterned loveseat. Their fingers, moving frantically across the screens of their tablets. Felicia groaned. Another lecture from Grandma Maureen. Just what she needed today...

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“2027” by Del Gibson

TW: Some of the scenes maybe disturbing! 2027 ****Harry**** “Back in my days, life was very different than it is now,” I say to my Grandchildren who are piled around me, in front of the roaring fire. It is getting dark, and the night chill is setting in. Darkness is a dang...

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“The Day I Surprised the Priest” by Cornelia Allen

The Day I Surprised the Priest Back in my day, in my neck of the woods, most of us went to Catholic school because that was what was available. It didn’t matter if you were Christian, Jew or whatever, you probably were educated by ladies in black robes and white wimples. My brother and sister went off to those magical, mysterious places every day, one called Fifth Grade and...

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“Back in the Day” by Mac Paul

‘Back in the Day’ The Veranda By Bettie MacIntyre Back in the day, before televisions, cell phones, computers, and sit-down family dinners. Lois can r...

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“Paperboy route” by Francesco James

Back in my day, there were no such things as “online publications,” and newspapers were the major source of information. Hence, the world of suburbia was filled with paperboys, of which I was one. Raised Catholic, I was also an altar boy, which made Sundays a bit hectic for me. On one particular Sunday morning, six a.m. four days before Thanksgiving, the weather was bitter cold and the sky dark, pockets ...

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Start your story with the line ‘Back in my day…’

Submissions are closed

✍️ 28 stories

“Like Father, Like Son” by Mister X

“Captive Audience” by PJ Aitken

“Learning to Swim” by Todd Crickmer

“In the Darkness, the Light of Freedom” by Robin G. White

“The Do-Over” by Deborah Elliott

“Freedom?” by Pauline Milner

“MASKing my nostalgia” by Mark Alan

“Jello Mold Wars” by Bruce Friedman

“The Good Old Days” by Patricia Jablonski

“Back in the Day” by George Georgerfrost@gmail.com

“Antiques On The Shelf” by Autumn-Rose Oberhammer

“2027” by Del Gibson

“The Day I Surprised the Priest” by Cornelia Allen

“Back in the Day” by Mac Paul

“Paperboy route” by Francesco James

🌟 Similar prompts

Write about a character who yearns for something they lost, or never had.

Write about two characters’ different perspectives of the same past event.

Start your story with a character looking through an old family photo album.

Your character has always viewed the past with rose tinted glasses. Write about what happens when they’re finally confronted with the truth.

Contest #120

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

254

Contest entries

170

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Tired of MS Word?

Explore more writing prompt ideas: