FAIR FIGHT FOR DIFFICULT BABY BOOMER TIMES

A fair fight isn’t a real fight.

If you’re in a fight you don’t want, what has fighting fair got to do with it?

The goal of a fight you don’t want is to end it as fast as you can.

This goal applies to marriage, jobs, kids, and home repair. Make it personal.

Married people have fights all of the time and don’t know it.

It takes a witness to remind them, “Are we having a fight?”

The answer either ends the perceived fight, or the time together with the witness.

Good marriages know how to postpone disagreements to a more opportune time.

Great marriages let it ride because both people know there will be new fuel to the fire soon enough.

But, you want to settle a few things first before moving on?

No. No you don’t. Why? Because you’re married, you’re settled, so get on with it.

See if your partner agrees to live with uncertainty, which they will since they live with you.

For any question, Hank Williams covers marriage counseling in his work:

If the wife and I are fussin’, brother that’s our right
‘Cause me and that sweet woman’s got a license to fight
Why don’t you mind your own business?
(Mind your own business)
‘Cause if you mind your business, then you won’t be mindin’ mine

Difficult Times To Fight Fair

Hard times in Oregon always seems more because of the rain.

So, what if it’s not raining? We win?

Not so much with baby boomers, or boomers in general, and definitely not foggy Portland baby boomers.

Who are they? You’ll recognize them in their mock turtleneck sweaters with a short zippered neck.

They walk around in thick soled Hokas because they fell for the jogging craze and ruined their feet in poorly made shoes.

Wait, that’s only me?

Leave it to the man who introduced jogging in America to come to the rescue:

Credit for introducing the concept probably goes to Bill Bowerman. A legendary running coach at the University of Oregon and a future co-founder of Nike, he said he discovered jogging on a trip to New Zealand in 1962. As he later wrote in Jogging: A Physical Fitness Program for All Ages, he was inspired by meeting with New Zealand jogging coach Arthur Lydiard, who had developed a cross-country running program. The prowess of the country’s runners wowed Bowerman.

Now old people limp around because they decided to take their overweight body out for a jog in Chuck Taylors back in the day. Oh, my shins.

There’s nothing like pounding down the sidewalk in practically bare feet to get back in shape.

It wasn’t for everyone at first, but then the shoes, the right shoes, showed up to spark even the most reluctant.

Put on a pair of joggers and a leisure suit Boomer. Spark an Old Gold. Looking fit.

Times Have Changed, But Not The Fair Fight

Your fair fight is not my fair fight, and it’s not anyone else’s either.

At some age fighting fair feels like accepting loss; the idea of fair is giving up your edge.

That age can be anywhere between twelve and death, but the further along in age we are, the longer it takes to heal.

And healing, along with helping others heal, is a good lifestyle goal. But only if you’ve already given up on ballroom dancing.

If you don’t have a list of things to heal from, you can borrow mine.

My Mom bought me a pair of green jeans from the Sears store and got upset when I wouldn’t wear them to school. I’m sorry, Mom, but I still wouldn’t wear them.

One Christmas I got my first bike. I was maybe eight years old. Not a kid’s bike but a 26″ adult single speed bike. I wanted to show the folks how glad I was by riding it. I crashed about ten times that day and scratched the new Firestone bike up.

Before I left for college in the fall of 1973 my folks bought me a Lloyds three in one sound system. Lloyds? It had a turntable, eight track slot, and radio. I didn’t take it with me because it wasn’t cool. My dorm roommate had a worse stereo.

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If you’ve noticed, my version of healing is aimed toward others who’ve been good to me. Like my parents.

What I’m saying is try and identify people you could have been better to. My parents have both passed, so it’s easy to make amends.

But let’s take it a step or two further. Let’s talk about the other person. Me.

Then you.

There’s something in my nature about receiving compliments and gifts. I like compliments and gifts as much as the next guy, but I’m suspicious.

I think it’s a fault in others who can’t accept gifts or compliments, but not me.

The origins of this is not completely clear, but it comes from the notion of being worthy.

Or, more accurately, not worthy.

Who is worthy? Who knows, but if I think you are worthy, then you are worthy.

Disagree with me on whether you are worthy or not and you’ve got a fight on your hands.

Will it be a fair fight? Let’s just say I’m not losing, and leave it at that.

For you in the back: You are worthy. So act like it.

You don’t need to leave a comment telling us how worthy you are. We already know.

But, if you feel compelled to tell, let’s go. The beaver and I are waiting.