friendship Archives • DAVIDPDX

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THE ART OF FRIENDSHIP, OR WHY YOU DON’T HAVE ANY FRIENDS

April 24, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

If you want to experience friendship, have friends, be generous. Loan money, loan tools, loan your car. That’s also the way to experience friendlessness when they don’t repay, return, and crash your car. The other way is spending time together. My wife says I don’t have any friends because the only people I spend time […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Baby Boomer blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, conversation, davidpdx, family, friendless, friendly, friends, friendship, get along, john prine, MARRIAGE, Oregon, Portland, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Portland Oregon, portland queen, wife, writer, writing

WHEN FRIENDS MATTER MORE

January 24, 2026 by David Gillaspie

Do friends matter more the older you get? It depends on who you ask. If someone has lots of friends, they say yes. What about those with few friends? They say yes, too. But . . .

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: America, baby boomer, Baby Boomer blogger, blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, conversation, destruction, education, elections, ethnic cleansing, friends, friends matter, friends of friends, friendship, helpful, historical, history, indiscriminate destruction, inhumane treatment, learning, mass population, read, read history, study history, subjects, true friends, tune out, work friends, writer, writers, writing, yalta

GOLDEN SILENCE? WHAT’S THAT ALL ABOUT

January 20, 2026 by David Gillaspie

I’ve experienced golden silence? Nooooo. But I’ve come close. Like the time I woke up in a tent while spending the night on a mountain I’d climbed. So quiet, at first, then the sniffing sound. Since it was Alaska, it may have been a bear. I was silent.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: ashamed, baby boomer, Baby Boomer blogger, Bob Dylan, education, ethnic cleansing, facebook, fighting, friendship, GUITAR, historical reminder, history, JFK, learning, military bases, modern nations, muhammad Ali, music, NW Portland, open mic, President Eisenhower, President Kennedy, profound effect, rolling stone, sing, song, story, twitter, unread blog, writer, writers, writing, WWII

BARONIAL BEAVERTON TODAY

October 1, 2025 by David Gillaspie

Last night marked a farewell to Baronial Beaverton, a home of dreams and vision. The first time I walked in I knew something was different. I didn’t make a fuss over the awe-inspiring place right off the bat, but now? I doubt I’ll see anything like it again.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: andina, baron, baronial, beaverton, Blenheim, blogger, boomerpdx, builder, castle, classic, coffered ceiling, flashback, france, friendship, history, land, monument, palace, planter, Portland Oregon, space, spacing, timeless classic, versailles, winners, writer

DRAWING A LINE IN WATER

June 6, 2025 by David Gillaspie

Drawing a line in the sand is different than drawing a line in the dirt. Sand is related to the beach, dirt is everywhere. One line lasts until the next tide, the other until the next rain. As you can see both are affected by water. But why draw a line in the first place?

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: boomer blogger, boomers, D-Day, dieppe bay, drawing a line, eavesdropper, education, friend, friendship, hippies, historical work, history class, history major, history writing, kids, listening, Love, MARRIAGE, millennials, opting in, opting out, rebellion, Slapton sands, story, summer, talking, writer, writers, writing, WWII

HOME STRETCH FOR THE WIN

May 19, 2025 by David Gillaspie

When travelers get to their home stretch all they want is everything to work. Get to the airport on time, make the plane on time, and hope your ride is on time when you land. Whether it’s two months, six weeks, or three days, coordinating transportation is chancy. What you really want to happen is […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: air travel, airlines, airport, alaska, Baby Boomer blogger, Baby Boomers, bonds, BOOMER, celebration, five women, flying, friendship, growing pains, home, home stretch, inspiring, los angleles, on time, resolve, Social media, the big chill, travel, twitter, writer, writers, writing

BOOMMATES IS A THING?

May 1, 2025 by David Gillaspie

‘Boommates’ is a new translation for roommates, which is kind of catchy. But is it the new kind of new, or a recycle job, after all we did grow up with the Odd Couple. The movie came out in 1968.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: baby boomer, Baby Boomer blogger, Baby Boomers, BOOMER, boomer blogger, Boomer Roomer, boomer roomers, boomerpdx, boomers, boommates, Divorce, divorced, friendship, history, hot mommas, life, MARRIAGE, married, memories, odd couple, old boyfriend, old girlfriend, online search, parents, story, wedding anniversary, wife, writer, writing

CRAFTSMEN KNOW HOW TO WORK, ARTIST KNOW WHEN TO STOP

February 26, 2025 by David Gillaspie

Craftsmen know their work, the ins and outs, the customs and traditions; they know the lay of the land. The good news is you can tell a good craftsman by their work. As a young history worker I inventoried a donation of hand tools used to build the wooden ships of old. The toolbox was […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: art, artists, clean air, clean water, common decency, courteous, craftsmen, customs, education, famous, food, friendship, good, good food, good life, good news, helpful, hype men, learning, shelter, tool box, tool chest, tools, traditions, trustworthy, value, work

LONG RELATIONSHIPS? I’M A FAN

August 27, 2024 by David Gillaspie

Long relationships that have stood the test of time amaze me. Call me befuddled, bemused, bewildered. How can anyone do it, let alone me? The first thing is finding anyone able to put up with your crap. It’s works even better when they don’t consider your crap to be crap. Take my wife, please.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: bad boyfriend, beer, being married, drink beer, friends, friendship, getting married, good will, honor, honorable, hope, kids, long relationships, long time married, married, relationships, thankful, trust, trustworthy, you

REINVENTING FRIENDSHIP: MIDLIFE GUYS

July 24, 2023 by David Gillaspie

Try reinventing friendship when your main guys move away. It happens, and it will happen more than once. You might move away, they might move away, then what? How do you break in new friends?

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Baby Boomers, blogger, boomerpdx, boomers, contemporary blogger, friends, friendship, guitars, male bonding, male friendship, midlife, musician, new friends, reinventing friendship, Social media