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DESCRIPTIVE TITLES ARE NOT ADMISSIONS OF GUILT

August 11, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

If some well known celebrity shows up on a screen, any screen, talking about drug addiction, mental health, and suicide, they’re not talking about themselves. Instead, they’re using their recognition, their acclaim, and their name-fame, to get a message across to a broader audience. Why do they bother with adding their feelings? Because they […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Baby Boomer blogger, Baby Boomers, Ben Affleck, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, boomers, celebrity, commie, communist, describe, descriptive, descriptive titles, education, facebook, family, fitness, history, kids, learning, Nike, Oregon, Phil Knight, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, smoker, smokers, smoking, Social media, story, title, travel, twitter, urban growth boundary, vote, wife, writer, writers, writing

OLD AGE AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT

August 3, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

Old age is a place to avoid if you can help it. It starts with the idea of, ‘I’m too old to do that,’ whatever ‘that’ is. Too old to skydive the first time? Maybe. Too old to bungee jump off a bridge? Probably. If you get past seventy without skydiving and bungee jumping? Good […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: American retirees, aspirational goal, baby boomer, Baby Boomer blogger, Baby Boomers, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, boomers, eating less, good health, health, kettlebell, old age, olympic motto, personal record, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, read, retiree, side effects, skills, snacks, Social media, social skills, socializing, write, writer, writers, writing

YAMHILL COUNTY FAIR 2026, THE OLDEST COUNTY FAIR IN OREGON

July 31, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

I went to the Yamhill County Fair for the rides? Noooo. Luckily I went with my wife and our friend (hey Josette) and they weren’t jumping in line. Neither was anyone else since we were there early. It opens at 10. So why drive out into the farmland past towns and graveyards full of pioneers? […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: 4H, americana, Baby Boomer blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, boomers, corndog, county fair, cows, education, family, farm animals, farming, goats, history, learning, mcminnville oregon, North Bend, Oregon, Portland, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Portland Oregon, rabbits, ranching, Social media, story, travel, veterans, wife, writer, writers, writing, Yamhiill county, yamhill county fair

BUILDING HISTORICAL HEALTH WITH AN ‘EXPERIENCE’

July 16, 2026 by David Gillaspie

The good doctor says ‘historical health’ is important for local and national well-being. The downside: you may discover things are not as you think they are. The upside: you may discover you’re better than you think. I call it Win-Win. Why?

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Baby Boomer blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, boomers, education, feeling better, historical experience, historical method, historical process, historical relevance, history, history bug, learning, loneliness, Love, MARRIAGE, millennials, North Bend, oregonians, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, practical purposes, reedsport, story, the vault, travel, wife, writer, writers, writing

DON’T TALK BACK TO WHO?

July 15, 2026 by David Gillaspie

When someone says, “Don’t talk back to me,” what’s your first impulse? Give them some back talk, or shut up. You already know what they want. What about you?

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: back talk, big reveal, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, boomers, education, history, learning, life's goal, Love, MARRIAGE, millennials, old enough, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, respectful, story, talk, talk back, travel, wife, writer, writers, writing

ADULTISM: JUST DO IT?

July 14, 2026 by David Gillaspie

Adultism: making mistakes and passing the knowledge on without admitting how you learned it. “Mistakes? Not me. I just know things because I’m smarter than you.” If you haven’t said those words, you’ve heard them and thought, ‘this is what smart people say?’ And we wonder why young people don’t respect their elders any more […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: adultism, baby boomer, Baby Boomer blogger, Baby Boomers, blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, boomers, common sense, facebook, good news, learning, Oregon, patience, peak happiness, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Portland Oregon, Social media, story, twitter, wife, writer, writers, writing, X

BEING USEFUL LIKE ROBERT FULGHUM

June 23, 2026 by David Gillaspie

This isn’t Robert Fulghum, it’s me being useful in my Robert Fulghum beard which has gone the way of every beard that dared show itself on my face. He is probably a better beard steward than me. My enthusiasm for grooming an extra pet in the house lasts about six months. The last dog lived […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: baby boomer, Baby Boomer blogger, Baby Boomers, banality, be useful, blog, blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, boomers, continuity, education, family, keep writing, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Portland Oregon, rational answer, repetition, Robert fulghum, Social media, story, tedium, travel, useful, well known, worth knowing, writer, writers, writing

BETTER LISTENING SKILLS FOR BETTER UNDERSTANDING

June 16, 2026 by David Gillaspie

If practicing better listening skills isn’t a life goal, it should be. How hard is it to pay attention? You did it in the classroom with the encouragement of a teacher. I still remember Mr. Kraus singing ‘Toot toot tootsie goodbye’ when he tossed little tootsie rolls to students with the right answer in algebra. […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Baby Boomer blogger, better understanding, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, boomers, brag, bragging, bro, education, good answer, grave robber, GUITAR, guitar player, history, listening, listening skills, North Bend, Oregon, Portland, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Portland Oregon, science, Social media, story, teacher, understanding, wife, writer, writers, writing

OFF THE HOOK IN GOLDEN YEARS?

June 8, 2026 by David Gillaspie

As the golden years of retirement stretch out before you there are a few things to keep in mind. Probably more than ten line items, but this is a start. You don’t have to agree with any of them, but pick and choose in any order. I’ll start:

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Baby Boomer blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, boomers, cooking, education, family, fitness, food, GOLDEN YEARS, history, kids, kitchen, learning, married, mental stimulation, millennials, music, Oregon, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Portland Oregon, recipe, relax, social interaction, Social media, sports, story, twitter, volunteer, wife, workout, writer, writers, writing

SENDING THE RIGHT MESSAGE TO WHO?

May 20, 2026 by David Gillaspie

I’ve heard the right message all of my life: Do this and this; don’t do that. Sometimes the right message comes from the right place. Other times?

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: accountable, alone, Army, Baby Boomer blogger, Baby Boomers, boomer blogger, boomers, committed citizens, community, hard part, helpless, message, Oregon, out of touch, personal pride, Portland, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Portland Oregon, right message, self esteem, travel, vote, voter, wife, writer, writing, your dignity