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TO MY DEAR READER, FROM A BLOG

April 18, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

Dear reader is plural, but writers are told to focus on just one person, and since I’m the writer around here . . . Hopefully it’s a focus on the right reader? The last thing I need is learning how my posts led a reader astray. From me to you: DO NOT GO ASTRAY. DON’T […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Baby Boomer blogger, blog, blog posts, blogger, boomerpdx, control, davidpdx, dear reader, education, family, good life, let them, let them theory, medicinal, permission, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, read, reader, reading, reflection, right stuff, sports, story, under control, writer, writing, wrong stuff

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

WHY AUTHENTIC MUSEUMS STILL MATTER

January 3, 2026 by David Gillaspie

I’ve been inside authentic museums of all kinds, from the Gene Autry Museum of the American West, to the Petersen Automotive Museum, to the National WWII Museum in New Orleans. They all come with a suspension of disbelief. Does everything have to be perfect? Noooooo. But they do have to be authentic.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: America, American History, american museums, artifacts, authentic, authentic museums, Baby Boomer blogger, Baby Boomers, blogger, boomerpdx, education, future, go wrong, historical artifacts, history, ignorance, Love, make sense, millennial kids, museum, museums, passive ignorance, read, responsible, story, travel, uncertain future, where is this going, woolworths, work it out, write, writer, writers, writing

WHITE LOTUS BEACH CAMP: LIFE IMITATES ART

February 17, 2025 by David Gillaspie

My wife and I found White Lotus this week, which is about right for us. This time we’re only five years behind. The family scenes make me laugh, not so much her, but one struck me hard: The kid sleeps on the beach at low tide in the first season. What was so funny? The […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: alone, art, bad decision, beach camp, buddy plan, camping, car, decision, drive, family, friends, funny, home, imitates, life, read, tide book, white lotus

TWITTER RESPECT ON SOCIAL MEDIA

December 19, 2024 by David Gillaspie

Twitter respect is what you get with certain posts. I ought to say ‘X Respect’ but I’ve been there since 2009, so twitter. And I get no respect. Why?

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: authentic life, coach, kids, life, married, private message, read, readers, respect, Social media, sports writer, talking smack, trash talk, twitter, twitter respect, twitter success, well informed, X, x respect

DECISION MAKING BEHIND THE CURTAIN

September 25, 2024 by David Gillaspie

Decision making used to be a coin flip. To be, or not to be; go, or no go. Were those simpler days, or just poor memories? Social media says hold my beer.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: blogger, coin flip, complain, decision, decision making, decisions, failure, faithful, faithful blogger, GUITAR, guitar player, making decisions, making progress, more practice, musician, practice, practice better, read, satisfaction, Smokey room, Social media, talking about practice

READ INSTRUCTIONS, VERIFIABLE INSTRUCTIONS

July 28, 2024 by David Gillaspie

We all read instructions before starting things. Or should. But . . . ? You already know what to do? They don’t make sense? No one is telling you what to do?

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: better tomorrow, bible, blog, blogger, blogger opinion, common sense, divisive, education, hateful, holy bible, ignorant, instructions, learn, learning, life experience, read, read instructions, reader, reading, regular people, Roman Empire, verifiable, verifiable instructions, verifiable truth, write, writer

STORY MEDICINE PRESCRIPTION: READ AND WRITE

February 26, 2024 by David Gillaspie

Story medicine is good for what ails you. Why? Because you deserve a break. Things go bad, and you read a story about something worse? You might feel better. But what about when things are going good, never been better. What story is going to improve that?

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: army medic, blog, blogger, boomerpdx, chiaroscuro, Death, history, medical, medical advice, medical problem, medicine, mona lisa, museum, New York City, New York story, Oregon, pound of flesh, read, readers, sfumato, story, story medicine, story telling, the Louvre, wife, write, writer, writers, writing

WRITERS DREAM HOUSE NEEDS A DREAMY INTERIOR TOO

December 29, 2023 by David Gillaspie

Everyone has a ‘Dream House.’ They know it when they see it. “That’s the house of my dreams.” Two blocks later it’s another house. I could drive around town all day looking at dream houses, but which one is the dreamiest?

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: blog, blog dream, blogger, boomerpdx, David Gillaspie, dream house, dreamy interior, education, family, history, new yorker, read, reader, the New Yorker, travel, twitter, well lighted, wife, writer, writers, writers room, writing

CHRISTMAS HOF: THE COUNTDOWN

December 18, 2023 by David Gillaspie

The Christmas HOF, or Hall of Fame, began when your dad gave your mom a new car wrapped in a big bow? That didn’t happen where I grew up. The new car back then was a 1968 Volkswagen camper for a family that rarely camped. But it had its usefulness. Eventually. There’s nothing like pulling […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: army christmas, blog, blogger, bob hope, bob hope christmas, boomerpdx, Christmas Hall of Fame, christmas HOF, Christmas spirit, college, college dropout, David Gillaspie, dropout, education, family, family life, gift, Hall Of Fame, Oregon, read, reader, wife, writer, writers, writing