North Bend Archives • Page 2 of 11 • BOOMERPDX

page contents Google

ONE NURSE STORY

November 23, 2025 by David Gillaspie

If there’s a typical nurse story, it sounds like this: “I like to help people, and I don’t get grossed out.” A typical nursing patient has a similar story: “I need help, and I am grossed out.” Why are we grossed out about our bodies? I’ll start:

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: baby boomer, Baby Boomers, blog, blogger, BOOMER, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, department of education, education, fitness, grossed out, kids, learning, MARRIAGE, married, millennials, North Bend, nurse story, nurses's story, nursing patient, nursing school, one nurse, Oregon, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, recovery, story, treatment, wife, writer, writers, writing

FOR THOSE GIVING AND FOLLOWING ORDERS

November 22, 2025 by David Gillaspie

Was it a treat to see an ocean of men and women trained in giving and following orders all in the same place? It was for me. These people are all Hall of Fame worthy, and already enshrined in my personal hall. While most of us packed our gear and went home after two, three, […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, boomers, education, family, following orders, give orders, giving orders, history, illegal orders, learning, Love, MARRIAGE, married, millennials, North Bend, orders, Oregon, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, story, wife, writer, writers, writing

HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING WITH WOLVES

November 20, 2025 by David Gillaspie

There comes a time in high school wrestling when you get thrown to the wolves. Ok, not real wolves, just the first time you knew you were over-matched, going to get rag-dolled, and still went out there. It doesn’t always work out the way it’s expected. I was a second year wrestler slated to face […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Baby Boomer blogger, blog, blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, boomers, education, family, fitness, high school wrestling, history, learning, marshfield pirates, North Bend, North Bend Bulldogs, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, story, travel, wrestling, writer, writing

LIFE LESSONS START EARLY FOR OLD MEN

November 19, 2025 by David Gillaspie

As a middle child myself for fourteen years, life lessons were important. We learned early to share with smaller kids, and not whine too much when older kids didn’t. Was there a learning curve? There’s always a learning curve when learning is involved. It’s not for everyone, to say the least, but . . .

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: aging, America, baby boomer, Baby Boomer blogger, blog, blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, education, family, fitness, history, kids, learning, lesson, lessons, life, life lesson, life lessons, MARRIAGE, married, men, millennials, North Bend, old men, women, writer, writing

LEADER PREPARATION TRAINING PROGRAM 2025

November 17, 2025 by David Gillaspie

This is my claim to leader preparation, not leader, but ready to lead. I lean on the Fort Ord Leadership Academy when I need to tighten things up. I’d like to thank the academy for the training? Thank you, but during the supposed twenty-one hours of training we were all so sleep-deprived we could barely […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: adversity, art, Baby Boomer blogger, blog, blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, boomers, craftsman, culture, education, great men, history, history teacher, leader, leader preparation, leader preparation program, leadership, leadership academy, learning, Love, MARRIAGE, millennials, North Bend, Oregon, Portland Oregon, preparation, program, story, teacher, teaching, travel, work, writer, writing

SEPARATION DAY, EVERY VETERAN’S DAY

November 12, 2025 by David Gillaspie

Separation day is the day you become a veteran. You get your papers and hit the road. My veteran road began in New Jersey, Fort Dix to be specific, which has a new role to play. The Army road began in Fort Ord, which also has a new role. From one September to another two […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: America, Baby Boomer blogger, blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, boomers, Death, destruction, Elvis, historical video, leadership, leadership training, learning, MARRIAGE, married, military, North Bend, older, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, separation day, story, u.s. Army, veteran's day, Vietnam, war, war zones, writer, writing

MY JOURNEY? WHERE ARE WE GOING

October 14, 2025 by David Gillaspie

How many times have you seen a title beginning with, ‘My Journey?’ The answer is, “A lot.” I googled it to make sure. Everything is journey, an adventure, a trip? No, no it’s not, and understanding why is a great cause of disappointment. But, if everything was a journey, how many have you had?

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: a journey, baby boomer, blogger, BOOMER, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, boomers, disappointing, do better, education, ethnic cleansing, internecine feuds, journey, know better, learning, learning journey, lost respect, Love, MARRIAGE, marriage journey, musical journey, my journey, no respect, North Bend, Oregon, political violence, Portland, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, respect, wife, writer, writing, your journey

GROWING UP AMONG TOUGH PEOPLE HELPS

August 30, 2025 by David Gillaspie

The best thing about tough people is how nice they can be. Lucky for me, I grew up near a tough town, Coos Bay. One of my North Bend classmates said he started telling people he was from Coos Bay because he got more respect. People know Coos Bay for its toughness, North Bend not […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: blog, Coos Bay, growing up, lake oswego, marshfield, name association, North Bend, obscure blog, recognition, striving to achieve, tough, tough people, toughness, wrestling, wrestling coach

TRAVELING MAN ON THE LOOSE

August 17, 2025 by David Gillaspie

One traveling man says he wouldn’t cross the street if he didn’t have to. Another says crossing the street is no problem, but he’s not going far after that. That’s enough travel for them. It’s enough for me, too. I understand the reluctant traveler. Growing up in North Bend, Oregon, Hwy 101 was hyperspace compared […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: australia, blog, boomerpdx, china, click bait, conviction, Czechia, harsh realities, hwy 101, hyperspace, I-5, Iraq, israel, job, married, memories, my opinion, my work, North Bend, opinion, Oregon, party, readers, reluctant traveler, responsibilities, Russia, serious page, space, space travel, Spain, the world, travel, travel warning, traveler, traveling man, work, world blog

START THE HARDEST PART FIRST: BEER CULTURE

August 11, 2025 by David Gillaspie

Doing the hardest part of anything is not the opposite of doing the easy part. The easy part serves as a warm-up? Sometimes. But, do that and you might be too tired for the next part, which is also not the hardest. Like what? Take drinking beer for example. I live in a beer town, […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: beer culture, blitz brewery, booze, bottle of wine, dealer, drinking booze, easy part, hard, hard luck stories, hard part, hardest, hardest part, hawks view winery, home, NBA, North Bend, Oregon, part, police, Portland, Portland Oregon, small town boy, sneaking booze, sorry tales, start, start first, weed, weed dealer, wine, wine glasses