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THE EASY WAY, OR THATAWAY

August 10, 2025 by David Gillaspie

The idea of the ‘easy way’ is a problem. To those who know how to do everything, it’s all easy. For them, not you. Anyone else who tries doing what they do would screw up. For example:

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: annals of history, Army, army shirt, belligerent, community, community march, conductor, daughters, decisions, dishonest, easy way, emotional, emotional meltdown, first class, first class story, good story, history, honest, kind, kindness, Kurt Vonnegut, march, meltdown, nice, protest, secret mission, that way, thataway, ticket to ride, turbulent times, undisclosed location, user instructions

CONTINUING LEGACY, CONTINUING STORY

August 6, 2025 by David Gillaspie

When a continuing legacy includes another brick in the wall, or sidewalk, it’s a reminder. Who does this? I do, as part of a group, a family group. What’s it a reminder for? The path ahead.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Army, brick in the wall, continuing legacy, continuing story, family, family group, farm raised, first house, Grandparents, history, LA, legacy, legacy brick, live chicken, memories, NYC, pfc gillaspie, philadelphia, reckless, regular army, shadow, shadow girl, story

WRITTEN RULES TO FOLLOW

July 12, 2025 by David Gillaspie

Written rules started early for baby boomers. “Do this, not that, and do it better than you did last time. I’ll write it down so you don’t forget.” From yard work to school work, to spending time with friends, there were rules. Ignore the rules and you might be the kid standing in the corner […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Army, Baby Boomers, boomers, condition report, following orders, law, magna carta, Meaning, NPR, Oregon, oregon guys, Portland, reading, reading people, rules, rules of conduct, words, write, write it, writing, written, written rules

ONE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE LATER

July 9, 2025 by David Gillaspie

How often does a declaration of independence come up? I declared my independence early. It was a quiet declaration that went something like: I do declare my living conditions to be unlivable. What did I do? Nothing.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Army, baby boomer, BOOMER, brother, Coos Bay, declaration, declaration of independence, free, free time, freedom, history, independence, independent, independent minded, Middle Child, personal responsibility, summer job, unstructured time, wife

NO KINGS? HOW THINGS CHANGE OVER TIME

June 14, 2025 by David Gillaspie

Running at the No Kings march? No, but . . . Things change slowly that feel like warp speed looking back. One day you’re a marathoner in Seaside cruising down the road. Feeling good, looking good, before hitting the wall. Then it’s all about recovering and finishing big. On the sandy beach. Ugh.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Army, army shirt, challenges, citizen, citizenship, citizenship test, civic duty, elmer's, garden window, marcher, married, married life, men in masks, no kings, no kings march, peaceful, peaceful protest, peaceful protestors, protest, protest march, runner, suburban streets, things change, Tigard, wife

RESISTANCE TRAINING = BETTER LIFE

June 11, 2025 by David Gillaspie

I believe in resistance training for a better life. Call it a core belief for one and all. Does everyone benefit from resistance? Yes they do, but there is resistance out there.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Army, BIG C, cancer, cancer counselor, cancer treatment, chemo, Death, dying, gym, history, life force, lucky day, marching onward, Marines, normal life, peoples march, radiation, recovery, resistance, resistance training, rude boy, shared history, sooner than later, traditional treatment, vitality, women's march, workout

INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL

June 9, 2025 by David Gillaspie

I’ve been personally indivisible for quite some time. It could be from growing up with brothers where you carved out your own identity, and a sister who had it all figured out. And I wasn’t the first born, which is important, so I never had everything to myself without some pesky little creature making sounds […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: America, american free speech, Army, Baby Boomers, Bandon, blogger, caring community, dignity, education, effect change, family, Florence, following orders, history, hope, indivisible, justice, kindred spirits, liberty, marching, pepper spray, Portland, present and accounted for, protest, SPORT, spring chicken, travel, wrestling

THEIR MEMORIAL DAY ON BOTH SIDES

May 26, 2025 by David Gillaspie

Memorial Day is for the families of service men and women who have passed, but whose memory remains. For them let’s help the service men and women today live their best lives. I’m thinking of those who didn’t die in service to their country, but those who are dying as a result of their service. […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: accident, AGENT ORANGE, american soldier, Army, Army veteran, BOOMER, boomer soldier, breaking news, deadly, family, good example, jody, memorial day, memory, military, military deaths, murder, self-inflicted, sensationalism, sensationalistic, service, suicide, VA, veteran, Veterans’ Affairs, virtue

CONTINUING EDUCATION? CLASS IN SESSION

March 12, 2025 by David Gillaspie

Continuing eduction needs one thing: the continuing part, the part outside formal classrooms and proctored exams. Why? Because that’s where a good education starts working. For example:

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: America, Army, army education, blogger, boomerpdx, college educated, continuing education, drop out, dropping out, educational journey, formal classroom, history, proctored exams, public education, sad story, story, tune in, turn on, writer, writing, young women

FOLLOWING ORDERS WITH FELLOW FOLLOWERS

March 6, 2025 by David Gillaspie

Following orders seems simple at face value: Someone tells someone what to do and the second someone does it. Done deal? Not so fast.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: all volunteer army, Army, boss, bullied, bully, caregiver, cowing down, face value, fear, fellow followers, followers, following, following orders, germany, historical, historical reference, karma, loss, mai lai massacre, orders, Parkinson's, powerful position, senior care, soldiers, testosterone, volunteer, war, WWII, young men