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HEALING PROCESS SECRET? STAY OUT OF THE WAY

September 21, 2021 by

I learned about the healing process early. The first fourteen years included two brothers, then a sister. My dad used to tell us to “quiet down, there’s a sick man in the hospital.” In North Bend, Oregon, the hospital was about a mile and a half from our house. We weren’t that noisy. After a […]

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NORTH BEND: A HOMETOWN IN THREE PARTS, 1, 2, 3

September 10, 2021 by

North Bend, Oregon has the same parts as anywhere else in the world. In my view, and I think you’ll agree, the three parts are: What I thought it was. What it is. How others see it. Sounds normal enough? It fits your hometown, too.

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ONE HOMETOWN VS ALL OTHER HOMETOWNS

July 23, 2021 by

One hometown is like any other town they say. Whoever ‘they’ are, they’re wrong. “A hometown is where young people bide their time before their real life begins,” goes the standard line. “It’s where kids first learn about the real world without bearing the consequences.” Not the case when the hometown is North Bend, Oregon. […]

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MEMORIAL DAY 2021, WASHINGTON PARK, PORTLAND OREGON

May 31, 2021 by

Memorial Day is for the kids, the enlisted guys, the drafted guys, the FNG who followed orders. It’s for the professional soldiers who learned the job and did the work. Sergeant Tennyson said it with, “Ours is not to reason why, ours is but to do or die.” Take that hill, cross that river, crawl […]

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BULLDOG STRONG, PASS IT ALONG

March 11, 2021 by

Bulldog strong is what happens in North Bend, Oregon. It probably happens everywhere else, but Bulldog strong lasts a lifetime. So far. The best way to tell if you’ve got some Bulldog in you? Do hard things, then reflect on where the credit goes after you get over yourself. For example:

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SOLDIER ADVICE: WHEN TO STAY, WHEN TO GO

March 2, 2021 by

Soldier advice usually comes from one place in the beginning. Can you guess where? If you said “recruiter,” you are correct. First they make an alluring argument for signing up. College money, healthcare, clothing, living expenses, food allowance. It’s all right here for a military career. If that hook isn’t sunk deep enough, Drill Sergeants […]

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GRECO ROMAN MEDAL WITH A HAPPY FAMILY

January 23, 2021 by

Greco Roman sounds so classic because that’s what it is, classic. It sounds old, like Greek City-State and Roman Empire old. Way the heck back there. In the sports world, Greco Roman is a particular style of wrestling, not an architectural element. It’s for athletes who don’t want to get tangled up in someone’s legs, […]

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OREGON EXPERIENCE: WHAT TO EXPECT IF YOU’RE NEW TO THE STATE

September 24, 2020 by

People come from far and wide for the Oregon experience. They leave with gratitude for their time here, and make plans to return. After thrilling at the waterfalls, mountains, and beaches, they see places like Kansas and Oklahoma through new eyes. They take the Oregon experience home and make it work. By the way, what […]

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REAL NAME? CALL PEOPLE AND PLACES BY THEIR REAL NAME BEFORE IT’S FORGOTTEN

September 21, 2020 by

In a time not so long ago, a real name wasn’t important. It was a liability. Hollywood legends like John Wayne, Rock Hudson, and Marilyn Monroe weren’t good enough when they were known as Marion Morrison, Roy Scherer, and Norma Jeane Mortenson. But those days are long passed according to Benedict Cumberbatch. How did he […]

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FAMILY PLAN? FARM THE KIDS OUT FOR PEACE AND QUIET

September 16, 2020 by

For most, a family plan is making sure the kids are alright. Planned pregnancies and Tiger Mom tactics? What’s that? My parents had four kids and we always lived across from a sand dune and a forest. Smart move. When they said go out and play, we knew where to go. Forest play was more […]

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