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DIE WRITING, OR DIE TRYING?

January 9, 2022 by

Who wants to die writing? A yes answer means one thing: Death is a metaphor. Unless it’s s sudden death and they keel over on their keyboard, no writer dies writing. But something does die in a writer who does everything they can to succeed before giving up. Who’s ever done that? One comes to […]

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WHY WRITE IT DOWN, WE’LL REMEMBER

January 8, 2022 by

‘Why write?’ I ask myself while trolling Costco with a legible list, a battle plan against over-shopping. After sweating it out over a hot keyboard all morning I pick up ‘the list’, the most important writing of the current era. “Do not write so as to be understood. Write in order to understand.” The real […]

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THUNDER ROAD ON NW LOVEJOY, PORTLAND

January 7, 2022 by

Thunder Road is a map of the love/hate relationship I’ve felt for Bruce Springsteen since 1975. I love that Bruuuuuce has persevered beyond all expectations. I hate the decision I made when Mary Anne in the Philadelphia clinic invited me along with her friends to see the local phenom across the river in New Jersey. […]

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BOOMER TIMING? THE ‘BETTER LIFE’ CLOCK STARTS NOW

January 6, 2022 by

Boomer timIng started the moment mom and dad decided on a better life for themselves. “The kids will have a better life because of us,” weren’t their exact words. Some of our parents grew up in rural life, out of town. For them, living in town was a better life. Recently I spoke with a […]

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TRICKLE DOWN JUSTICE STARTS AT THE TOP

January 5, 2022 by

Trickle down justice is different than trickle down economics where the rich get richer with tax breaks. In one the results are more visible: People get charged, tried, and sentenced if guilty. We’re not left wondering, ‘Do the 1% really give up their haul so the minimum wage workers in their companies can afford the […]

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GIFT GIVING? HOLD MY BEER SIGN

January 4, 2022 by

Gift giving is such a mixed bag of emotions. From the funny: “Oh thank you, thank you, thank you, this is just what I wanted.” To the sad: “I didn’t know what to give you, so…” For reference, no one wants a beer sign after college, at least that’s the common adult thing. Beer sign […]

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ELECTED OFFICIALS TAKE OFFICE AFTER ELECTIONS AND VOTE COUNT? HOLD MY BEER

January 3, 2022 by

Elected officials come to office by many paths. Some feel strongly about making a difference and run a political campaign as a difference maker. Others fill a seat by appointment. And still others cheat and steal their way in then whine and accuse if they lose. However they get there, the job isn’t done after […]

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SCOREBOARD ANSWERS CONFUSING HARD LIFE QUESTIONS

January 2, 2022 by

Scoreboard shows winners and losers in a particular moment. Then the contest is over. The winners celebrate, the losers walk away. At least that’s what is supposed to happen.

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CAREFUL LISTENING FOR THE NEW YEAR: CAN YOU HEAR ME YET

January 1, 2022 by

Careful listening to difficult conversations is key to better understanding. But you know this. You might not practice it, but you know it by a certain age. Think of being fifteen and listening to Mom and Dad explain how to drive a car after you got your learners permit. Careful listening then meant you might […]

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2021 REVIEW: MOST READ POSTS ON BOOMERPDX

December 31, 2021 by

The 2021 review shows 14,941 readers visited here for 19,549 ‘views.’ It’s the second highest number of visitors after a decade of writing on BoomerPDX. While big-time bloggers see these numbers as a good afternoon of traffic instead of a year, I’m still tickled to reach anyone anywhere. The only disappointment in the 2021 review […]

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