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GIVE UP? HOW TO START

Give up is what losers do? Not so fast. It’s got other names, like surrender, capitulate, quit. But giving up sounds so final. Why?

WRITERS SOCIALIZING WITH WRITERS

My aunt warned me about writers socializing. I’d taken the train from Philadelphia to Princeton, New Jersey for a visit. She was studying at the Princeton Theological Seminary to be a preacher; I was in the Army learning to be a writer. Since she had a degree in literary criticism she had a lot to […]

REBUILDING PORTLAND A LITTLE AT A TIME

Rebuilding Portland means one thing: acknowledge what’s broken and fix it. What’s broken? The biggest thing broken is believing Portland is worth the effort. But how do you rebuild trust? You need to go out and find it.

FACEBOOK WRITER, BLOGGER, OR SCROLLER?

You know a Facebook writer when you read them. The work seems too good for the platform, too permanent for such a temporary view. But Facebook is inviting, available, and free. So why not use it as a primary outlet?

GIVING UP AT THE RIGHT TIME

Giving up is the same as quitting? Or something more insidious? Quitting feels so final, like, “All done here.” Giving up delivers a different message.

UNDERDOG LIFER STARTS EARLY

An underdog lifer life needs to start early, otherwise it’s just following trends. But how early? Top underdogs are never the first born, the first to start new things, or the first in line. If they were first, they wouldn’t be underdogs. Start with where you were raised.

DISPLACED WORKERS ‘RETIRED’ FROM OLD JOBS

Displaced workers retire? From what? Ask a Coos Bay logger about it, or a Charleston commercial fisherman. What did they retire from? Getting jacked around by new ideas on sustainability.

REALITY CHECK FOR THE PORTLAND NEW YEAR

Who writes the reality check for the new year? Don’t ask. It’s you. And it’s your reality. You can check it, ignore it, or pretend it belongs to someone else. But, it’s you, it’s yours, and you’re not alone, as the top image shows.

MATCH MAKER: BEST EFFORT vs GOOD ENOUGH

Being a match maker in 2023 means finding new matches. If you’ve been trying to introduce people because ‘they’d be perfect together,’ it’s time to adjust expectations for the new year. 2022: Why aren’t you married? 2023: Marriage isn’t for everyone.

TODAY MATTERS MORE THAN YESTERDAY

Today matters. It’s January 1, 2023, the first mattering day. A day of hope, hoping to fulfill your New Years’ pledge for at least one day. Anyone pledging to never drink again? But after some ‘hair of the dog?’ Except my dog doesn’t shed.