BABY BOOMER’S LIFE FLASHES BEFORE HIS EYES

Clearing Out The File Cabinet.

The kid on the right is learning the ropes. He’s your gentle BoomerPdx blogger looking like he’s crying in wrestling practice.

It just looks that way. Really. If I was crying it was tears of happiness for having such a great teacher like Robin Richards.

Later the same year Robin led a bunch of teammates to the top of the podium.

Many hard nosed high school wrestlers found themselves in this position in their matches against Robin.

Greco-Roman Champions were a standard of excellence in North Bend High School sports.

Many competed, few collected the gold medal.

Two years later another champion stood on top.

It was a gold medal, but the paper missed that headline.

The man handing out medals was a current college national champion. I beat his brother in this tournament.

Sports are funny like that. When my kid was a high school senior he won the same medal.

Some schools are better in one season than any other season.

This year’s football Bulldogs are on their way to the playoffs with an undefeated record.

Other years weren’t so fortunate.

Play hard. Play to the whistle. Don’t take anything for granted. Run to the ball.

The game hasn’t changed that much, but the results have.

Learn to trust other. Give your best effort.

Winning and losing takes care of itself if you give all you’ve got.

That’s not a bad motto to live by.

Work hard and listen to the cheers.

There wasn’t much difference between the Miss America contest and cheerleaders.

Growing up in a small town might not be for everyone, but size is relative.

I met a man the same age as me from Coquille. He called me a ‘city kid.’

The Big Time is right where you are.

Take a moment to give friends and classmates from high school another look if it’s been a while.

No one stays the same, but everyone has a story.

What’s yours?