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OBJECT PERMANENCE: WORKING FOR A BETTER LIFE EVERY DAY

 Object permanence typically starts to develop between 4-7 months of age and involves a baby’s understanding that when things disappear, they aren’t gone forever.  The first time I heard the words ‘Object Permanence’ I liked it. “When things disappear, they aren’t gone forever” makes me happy. As adults we remember the past and remember when […]

LEARNING CURVE? FIND TREASURES AND READ

A learning curve is not an excuse. I’ll repeat it, a learning curve doesn’t mean you’re stupid. There’s room in class for another learner. If it’s something new, you may feel a little stupid working it out, but that’s just navigating the curve. Give it a few minutes and you’ll be an expert. How? Read […]

TRAVEL GOALS FOR ASPIRATIONAL ADVENTURERS

Travel goals are more than just getting out of town. Let’s start there. More than changing surroundings, travel goals are so much more. Like what, then? Some are bigger than others, but they are all goals.

MUSIC LESSONS, LIFE LESSONS, WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE

‘Music lessons’ always sound ominous. Like ‘continuing education’ and its friend ‘life long learning’, music lessons sound like work. Although the idea is to ‘play’ music, getting to the play part takes time. Then the question becomes ‘how much time, Big D?’ I found the answer in an unusual place: a guitar. But first, about […]

ASIAN AMERICANS ARE AS AMERICAN AS IT GETS

Asian Americans are as American as it gets. I’ve said it twice. Fight me. Hate crimes against elderly Asian Americans is not a sport, not a statement, but an act of cowardice and ignorance committed by the sort of people we’ve seen too much of. Who are they? Who might be joining them? It’s people […]

GIVE EVERYTHING ALL OF THE TIME? NOT SO FAST

“Give everything when you give all you’ve got.’ If you’ve heard this before, then you played high school football in the time before good sense. That particular time also had this: “Stick your head in there. That’s why you wear a helmet.” And this: “Only sissies drink water during practice. Are you thirsty, son?” And […]

GAINING SELF RELIANCE STARTS WITH GOOD TEACHERS

Self reliance feels like the best goal to aim for, but how do you get there? We all start from the opposite end, as little babies depending on others to lead the way. Those common beginnings fade away in the self reliant types we look up to because they do everything so well. We forget […]

BLOG TRAFFIC: BOOMERPDX FROM NATION TO NATION

Blog traffic map via google analytics. The big difference between the top map and every other map of the world is that this one tracks where the hits, the readers, the bots, showing up on boomerpdx originate. It’s a blog traffic map, which isn’t very writerly since geography isn’t about plot, story structure, or how […]

HELPING OTHERS LEARN HOW TO HELP OTHERS

Helping others seems like the shortened version of the Golden Rule. Boomers remember the Golden Rule after the Grandma squad drilled it in. Millennials might be a little foggy on it since their parents didn’t take them to church, quote Bible verses, or give them the gift of spending a week with a great-Grandma. Here […]

SCHOOL LEARNING VS LIFE EXPERIENCE

School learning is the educational experience of showing up on time. That’s the first test for new students. On time? Check. Finds desk? Check. Takes off coat and sits down? Check. As parents, if a kid can do that, then we’ve done our job. Or is there more?