page contents Google

INFORMATIONAL BLOG REVIEW, PANDEMIC VERSION

An informational blog does one thing best: it informs. But you know that. From a professional blogging point of view, the information on a blog needs to stay on topic. This blog, boomerpdx, sounds like a Baby Boomer blog, and it is. But like the now second biggest demographic in America, thanks millennials, the sky […]

MARATHON LIFE RULE: START STRONG AND FINISH

I lived the marathon life rule in my twenties. At twenty-nine I took the plunge in Seaside. The image is at the start of the race. No, I’m not a giant, but maybe in this crowd. One does not simply ‘run’ a marathon without consequences, not if you plan on a one and done event, […]

GYM ELECTIONS: WHY I MISS THE OLD MAN WHISPERING GROUP

Even if there’s no such thing as Gym Elections, you’d never know it. A focus group used to gather regularly, lean in, and talk the talk. Fun guys, conservative learning republicans, working out their latest take on overnight news. A retired teacher, a retired doctor, and a current fire breather, were staples, though they had […]

HOW “DON’T TELL ME WHAT TO DO” PEOPLE FOLLOW DIRECTIONS

Hard headed people know what to do, so don’t bother telling them anything and expect them to follow directions. “Don’t walk on the edge of a bridge over the Tualatin River,” someone had to have said. Who listened before hopping up and taking big steps? They were easy directions to follow. Not a life changer. […]

AMERICAN PRACTICE: VOTE LIKE IT MATTERS

An American practice is like a medical practice: sometimes we get it wrong. Sometimes we get it right and it’s still wrong. If you’re old enough to vote, do it. Vote like it matters and encourage others to do the same. Voting is part of an American practice, like minding our own business and staying […]

ELLEN URBANI MAKES GOOD TROUBLE

Ellen Urbani wrote an essay published in Time Magazine. “Our president wants you to believe I am a terrorist, a professional agitator stalking the Pacific Northwest.“ The title of the essay was, “I’m a Mom Who Came Out to Protest for Black Lives in Portland. I Was Shot by Federal Agents.” That’s where the wheelchair […]

LEAVING PLACES BETTER THAN YOU FOUND THEM IS NOT ASKING TOO MUCH

Experienced campers know all about leaving places better than they found them. Pick up the trash, pack your gear, and move along. It’s that easy, and that hard with campers. After the camping trip is done and they get home, the clean up continues for the next time. Will Mr. Trump be a good camper? […]

EMOTIONAL RESISTANCE TRAINING RESCUE

Emotional resistance training is more than ignoring bad news and waiting for clouds to lift. It takes a little work, a little effort. The definition of resistance training is clear and plain: improve muscles by making them work against a weight or force. The same definition applies to emotions: When we get challenged in a […]

BROKEN STAIRWAY? HOW TO REPLACE IT

My mother in law walked down a broken stairway for sixteen years. I’d replaced treads and firmed up the handrails, but we still joked about it. “An independent observer might think my son in law is trying to kill me by falling through these steps,” she laughed. “If the fall doesn’t kill you, my snake […]