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SHARING SPECIAL DAYS, EVERY LAST ONE

May 9, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

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 […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: anniversary, Baby Boomer blogger, bliss, boomer bliss, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, dear readers, education, family, fingers crossed, gift ideas, history, learning, Love, love notes, MARRIAGE, Oregon, party, Portland, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Portland Oregon, readers, travel, wife, writer, writers, writing, youth culture

OLD PORTLAND, YOUNG PARENTS

May 8, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

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?

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Baby Boomer blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, boomers, education, family, history, kids, Love, MARRIAGE, married, old portland, Oregon, Portland, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Portland Oregon, young parents

LET THEM, LET YOU, OR LET ME?

May 7, 2026 by David Gillaspie 1 Comment

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 […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: America, baby boomer, Baby Boomer blogger, Baby Boomers, blogger, book, boomerpdx, education, F AROUND, FAFO, find out, let them, let them theory, letters, old man, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, prolific, read, reader, reading, self help, travel, wife, write, writer, writers, writing

READING HISTORY LIKE IT MEANS SOMETHING?

May 5, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

Reading history is the same as reading a story, but it comes with a bonus: You can check the validity of the history story, check the sources, visit the places history happened and is still happening. When old people check sources it’s because they have nothing else to do? Baby boomers visit historical sites not […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: accomplished writers, addiction, America, Baby Boomer blogger, blue book, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, chaucer, college classes, davidpdx, drug addict, drunk, education, energy, history, new yorker, paris, playboy, reading, reading a book, reading history, stoned, story, the Canterbury Tales, time, wife, writer, writing, WWII

DIFFERENT SOLDIERS? HOW DIFFERENT

May 2, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

The men in uniform during WWII were different soldiers, different kind of people. The Axis powers carried an extreme devotion to duty, an extreme devotion to their emperor, and an extreme devotion to cruelty over helpless victims. By the way, this isn’t new, not breaking news, but a reminder for short-memoried morons who ought to […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: America, Baby Boomer blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, different soldiers, education, extreme devotion, germany, historical, history, holocaust, illegal orders, japan, kadena air base, learning, men in uniform, moral clarity, moral superiority, ramstein air base, soldiers, surrender, travel, writer, writers, writing, WWII

RECLAIMING MY TIME ON SOUTHERN OREGON COLLEGE SIXTY-FIVE YEARS LATER

April 30, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

Southern Oregon College Graduating Class of 1960: My dad. He transferred after two years at Central Oregon Community College in Bend. It was a well used path to the first college degree in his family. He was thirty years old, an old 30. Back then thirty was older, fifty was a grandparent. Hit sixty and […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: advanced degree, ashland oregon, baby boomer, blog, blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, davidpdx, education, GI Bill, higher education, historical recreation, learning, Love, Oregon, Oregon shakespeare festival, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Shakespeare, southern oregon college, southern oregon university, travel, wife, writer, writers, writing

GAINING CONFIDENCE, losing confidence

April 29, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

The thing about confidence, gaining confidence, is making it personal. Something bothers you until you do something about it, then it doesn’t bother you. As much. Whether you fixed a problem, or not, you did something. That’s a win in the davidpdx book, blog, post, something. It’s win.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: accumulation sickness, Baby Boomer blogger, Baby Boomers, boomerpdx, confidence, confidence builder, education, facebook, fitness, gaining, gaining confidence, great man, learning, losing, losing confidence, never satisfied, Oregon, poetry, Portland, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Portland Oregon, self confidence, self destruction, sports, story, wife, writer, writers, writing

THE LEADING AGE, I MEAN LEADING EDGE

April 27, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

The leading age comes after long years of experience, and putting it into practice for the benefit of others. The best blacksmith in town learns to pound steel into the correct form and he teaches others the same skill before his elbow sidelines him. The best woodworker shapes stock into useful pieces and helps others […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Baby Boomer blogger, blue collar, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, business leaders, ceo, coach, construction workers, davidpdx, decision makers, education, ELECTED OFFICIALS, google AI, history, learning, MARRIAGE, married, mentor, money, money guys, prime, tradesmen, travel, wife, workers, working class, writer, writers, writing

MUSIC MUSCLE: USE IT OR LOSE IT

April 26, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

Where is the music muscle? In your fingertips? In your ear? In your voice? No wrong answer here. It’s all three, but there’s still something missing. Whether it’s ambient noise, sounds, notes, or whether it’s so important you buy tickets and make travel plans, there’s something about music I still don’t get. On one hand […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: America, baby boomer, Baby Boomer blogger, blog, blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, education, engaged, engaging, learning, lose it, lost it, muscle, music, music muscle, musician, PAINTER, painting, travel, use it, writer, writers, writing

SERVING BITTER TRUTH ON SPECIAL WITH A SIDE OF MOVE ALONG

April 25, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

What’s worse than seeing a big strong man taken down by bitter truth and forced to accept responsibility for their actions? They say what they need to say, then say it again when more details come out. And there’s always more details. I’m left asking why this happens so often? It’s disturbing, disruptive, and ultimately […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: America, American, american standard, bitter truth, blonde babes, boomerpdx, business decision, change, choice, decision, disappointing, education, freedom, history, hugh hefner, improvement, lasting change, learning, playboy, progress, promises, reckless hack, sleep deprivation, story, truth, well heeled, wife, writer, writing