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MAY 1986, THE LAST WEDDING

It was a cloudy, wet, day, in May 1986 for the last wedding.
Like so many raised on the Oregon coast, a cloudy, wet, day, is good luck no matter where you are.
Everything was done, everything set in Sandy, from rented morning coats to a rented preacher.
The preacher was a second choice.
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SHARING SPECIAL DAYS, EVERY LAST ONE

Special days have special meaning which don’t hit the same for everyone.
For some it’s repeating, “Why bother,” for the fortieth time.
Others like to say, “I thought we’ve moved past all that.”
But you still find those looking for something special in every day, and keep looking until they find it. Hell or high water.
The last line is the bell ringer.
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OLD PORTLAND, YOUNG PARENTS

Make that old Portland, youngish parents.
Or not so old Portland, and not so young parents.
We weren’t teenagers, but if you ever want to feel like one push a stroller around downtown.
With two kids it’s like a double punishment, like sent to your room AND missing dinner.
What else?
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LET THEM, LET YOU, OR LET ME?

The Let Them Theory book has a lot of lets in the letters.
My favorites are the parts that address my problems, which come with a writing habit from what I can tell.
Will I discover why I’m not a better writer?
Learn what I should have done by now, or find a lingering message to get over myself already?
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NORTH BEND HEROES START HERE

 Calling North Bend a small town is a disservice to real small towns everywhere.
Driving south on 101 and crossing the North Bend Bridge takes you under this sign.
If you’re not paying close attention and keep going the same direction, the entire area of the largest metro complex on the Oregon coast feels like it’s all North Bend, especially if you miss the little coos bay sign.
How can the biggest city on the coast be a small town?
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toughen up

SWING HARD OR SOFT, BUT HIT THE SWEET SCIENCE

If The Heavy Bag Could Talk No matter the age or gender, we never lose the urge to fight. We fight for one thing or another all our lives. It’s not always called a fight, but it can feel like it. And you can still win. During the 1920’s Golden Age of Sports, college football, […]

GUN TALK THE WRONG WAY … AGAIN

Raw Story posted a gun column about white men and guns. It was the sort of gun talk white men with guns shouldn’t identify with. “White men stockpile guns because they’re scared of black people and feel inadequate, science says.” That’s the rawstory title. It’s raw, but even more, it’s lazy, but a site called […]

BABY BOOMER DEATH MARCH

What Happens When That Music Starts? From the Washington Post: “In January, the CDC reported that an average of six people die every day because of alcohol poisoning and that 76 percent are ages 35 to 64. Three-quarters are men.” That party bus of life shifted gears when we weren’t looking. The baby boomer mantra […]

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boomer years

TEACHER ABUSE BAD FOR STUDENT BODY

  How does a seasoned school administrator lose their job by ignoring students? When they decide some student voices are more important than others.   The old saying about a squeaky wheel getting the grease may apply here, but the school official was out of lube. Now they’re out of a job, or will be […]

INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN BOOMER

I hear you asking, “What’s a ‘proven’ boomer?” You know what a ‘made man’ is in the Mafia? They’ve taken an assignment from the boss and done good with it. Usually the assignment that makes you a Made Man also makes you a Button Man. You push the button, pull the trigger, you’re a made […]

WHO GETS FOOLED AGAIN? WHO? WHO?

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. Baby boomers grew up with The Man. It wasn’t daddy, but daddy knew The Man. Sometimes daddy was on The Man reserve. Who is The Man? It’s the police Man. We saw him at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The Man swung a hard […]

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buckle up

6 STEPS OF EUROPEAN TRAVEL AFTER THE FIRST STEP

  Step One: Admit you’ve been bored to death since your last trip.   You miss making connections, new train stations, airports. The miracle of being on time. Like a caged animal, your travel bug paces. Every Sunday it rattles the gate. That’s when Rick Steves shows up. With a dish. Travel bugs feast on […]

SHARING EARTH WITH LIVING THINGS, EVEN THE CREEPY ONES

    “Quick, where’s my camera?” he said. “What?” she said. “Birds.” “Camera? Here it is.” “These birds are huge. Look at that formation.” “What are they?” “Birds. Really big birds. What are they?” “I don’t know.” “You don’t know these birds? Since when would you even admit it?”

BOOMER STREET

    Baby boomer gets the message. We’ve heard the message all of our lives. It goes like this:   Move over little dog, the big old dog is moving in.   We were once the little dog and moved over for those who knew better. We did what we were told. The idea is […]

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