I think one always does better when prepared in a general way sometime in advance. I say "general way" because it is clear that over preparation can ruin free-flowing, extemporaneous discourse–at least for those of us without a photographic memory and who find ourselves in a frozen state of panic trying to remember exactly what we had prepared in advance. For me the most fortuitous occasions occur when a subject I have written about – that is, one to which I have given some prior thought – becomes the serendipitous topic of conversation in a group discussion.
Now "zingers" per se depends upon the degrees of freedom one feels in a particular situation--however appropriate or inappropriate. I remember one time I appeared in a Tampa courtroom for arraignment after an arrest for trespassing. I was in a mentally unbalanced state at the time, but this was not readily apparent. Feeling abundantly free I conveyed a fair number of zingers to the judge – he was definitely not amused; it took two weeks to get out of jail.
Yet the heart and soul of zingers is spiritual freedom. Thus, a youngster may be very subdued and shy in public, but full of zingers at home where they are intellectually free. The reason we enjoy appropriate zingers so much is they symbolize the great wit inherent in spiritual freedom; dazzling in its resourcefulness, creativity, and unpredictability.
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