page contents Google

THE TRUTH, GETTING A HANDLE

Getting a handle on the truth shouldn’t be a big hurdle to clear.
All it takes is a little self-awareness.
The truth is your friend if you’re not too sketchy.
Will it set you free? Well . . .
It depends on the sort of shackles your used to.
[Read More…]

‘DOING RESEARCH’ AND OTHER EXCUSES

What counts as doing research?
For writers it’s an easy answer: Everything is research.
And because everything is research, the trick is finding what matters more.
Is it writing about where you are, how you feel, the people you’re with?
The correct answer? All of the above.
[Read More…]

TWO STORIES + ONE MAN = GREAT LITERATURE? OK LEO

Where does great literature come from?
From more than two stories, but first about ‘that man.’
The great literature man.
Where does he come from?
[Read More…]

GRACE AND DIGNITY FOR AGING MILLENNIALS

I became my ‘brother’s keeper’ through misjudgment, and it wasn’t my brother but my father in-law.
Same idea, though. I think it’s the same idea.
And it was misjudgment, not a mistake.
What happened?
[Read More…]

NEVER HURTS TO ASK: VOTE BETTER

Baby boomers got a lot from this.
What you can do for your country is vote better.
Or just vote.
[Read More…]

More Posts from this Category

toughen up

MAKE NEW NORMAL BETTER THAN OLD NORMAL? THAT’S THE NEW JOB

    I’ll never to get used to hearing about the ‘new normal,’ which is a pretty common topic after cancer treatment. “How is your new normal?” I’ve heard. “Do you miss the things you can’t do anymore?” I’ve heard. What’s the right answer? There is no right answer, but the questions ought to serve […]

STEP UP TO THE JUICE BAR, BOOMER

Have One On The House. Doing a juice fast usually means one thing: lots of juice. Finishing a juice fast usually means one thing, too: no more juice. Neither is true. I just finished eight days of adapted juice fasting. Instead of going hardcore juicer, I adapted to a restricted calorie, limited choice diet, to […]

Neck Cancer … What Is It Good For … Absolutely Nothing

A reader left a comment recently that moved me to respond in a universal way.   Hey Patrick,   Thanks for coming over to boomerpdx. A quick question: How did you find me and this topic. I write about it a lot, but not too many show up in comments like you. I’m glad you’ll […]

More Posts from this Category

boomer years

ROLLING STONE AND PLAYBOY BOTH DIED IN 1980. WHO NOTICED?

  Growing up in the shadow of the sixties, I turned sixteen in 1970, two magazines ruled the media rack: Rolling Stone and Playboy.   Ten years later in 1980 two icons from each were murdered. John Lennon and Dorothy Stratten were both shot down in tragic style.   Rolling Stone and Playboy did a […]

CORPORAL PUNISHMENT: TWO BABY BOOMERS TALK ABOUT IT

The last question you want to ask a combat vet is, “Did you kill anyone?” Just figure they did and if they want you to know, they’ll tell you. The last thing you want to ask a boomer is, “Did your parents and teachers physically abuse you as a child?” We come from an era […]

INTERPRETING AARP’S TOP TEN BABY BOOMER ALBUMS

A Top Ten list never includes everyone’s picks, but who doesn’t trust AARP? They’ve got their finger on the public pulse, especially the public with silver threads running through their hair paint like mine. It’s a nice list with a few omissions which I’ll add toward the end of this Portland baby boomer take. For younger readers I’ll list […]

More Posts from this Category

buckle up

5 DIAMOND LIFE SURPRISES TO EXPECT: PILLOW MENU?

    Is 5 Diamond life different than normal life? It better be, or why bother. But you may wonder like I do after a 5 Diamond week in Vidanta, can we ever get used to it as a lifestyle?   Probably not if you live in a space with stacks of magazines and books […]

BOOMERS ON THE MOVE TO SOMEWHERE ELSE

Why Not To The Hometown? No one likes hearing classmate at a reunion say, “So glad I got out of here.” Hear it once and you want them out of there again. Hometowns aren’t prison to escape from. If you feel that way, it’s you, not the town. Maybe when we were in our late […]

PORTLAND OF THE SOUTH, PT 1

From Portland to the Portland of the South starting in Knoxville. The true Portland of the South, according to local legend, is Asheville, North Carolina. After the cluster flop in the United terminal in Denver, going back to Portland would have been a good move, but intrepid travelers push on. Asheville is two hours away, which […]

More Posts from this Category