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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 […]

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DRUG ADVERTISING BUG GET YOU?

November 11, 2025 by David Gillaspie

Drug advertising comes on all of the time now, a persistent flow of ‘you’ll feel better if you take our pill.’ One second you’re watching the Oregon Ducks closing out the Iowa Hawkeyes at the 70,000 seat Kinnick Stadium, named after Heisman Trophy winner Nile Kinnick, and the next you’re watching a lovely family picnic […]

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FIRE STARTER FOR YOUR FACE: MATCHBOOKS

October 28, 2025 by David Gillaspie

If you smoke cigarettes you need a fire starter. It won’t light itself. A few decades ago, quite a few, it seemed like everyone smoked. I worked in an office in the early 80’s that allowed smoking at your desk. Some people did it with a smoke filter, others just let it rip when they […]

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THE OTHER PORTLAND, NOT THAT ONE

October 12, 2025 by David Gillaspie

The other Portland is not an event, a gathering, or a cause. It could have been anywhere, but Portland just so happens to be where I started my career, met my wife, had kids. It is where my kids got married. I’ve had the city on my mind all my life, from driving past as […]

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RESTFUL SLEEP FOR BETTER DAYS

October 10, 2025 by David Gillaspie

For those who wonder about the benefit of restful sleep, stay up a little longer and keep reading. If you’re not on schedule for a solid eight hours of sleep, with power naps mixed in, keep reading. There is something keeping you up, something you can’t put your finger on, or step on, but what? […]

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GOLDEN RULE REMINDER WITH A NEW SHINE

October 3, 2025 by David Gillaspie

The Golden Rule applies to one and all, even the new people with no skin in the game. A new iteration came across my screen with, ‘You may have the right to do something, but is it the right thing to do?’ Treating others with fairness and dignity according to the law of the land […]

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CHILDREN LEARN BY EXAMPLE SO TEACH THEM WELL

October 2, 2025 by David Gillaspie

Children learn by looking to their elders for clues. Elders don’t always remember the clues when they’re too busy feeling forgotten. But, there are reminders. You, who are on the roadMust have a code you try to live byAnd so become yourselfBecause the past is just a goodbye

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COMMUNITY STORYTELLING: U.S. ARMY 1974-1976

September 30, 2025 by David Gillaspie

The definition of community for Community Storytelling from Oregon Humanities: When we say “community,” we mean any group of people who share a common experience thanks to where they live, the language they speak, their race, their religion, their age, or some other attribute. When we say “storytelling,” we mean nonfiction stories conveyed through […]

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TRY ME? EVERY FATHER’S HOPE

September 25, 2025 by David Gillaspie

“I’ve got three boys,” a former football star said. “I’ve got to stay in shape because they’re going to try me.” Try me? Do we all know what that means? Probably not if you didn’t try your Dad. But you did. Right? You did? How did that work out for you? How does it ever […]

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THE ART AND CRAFT OF DODGING RESPONSIBILITIES

August 29, 2025 by David Gillaspie

Dodging responsibilities for a picture is not what my pal Bill Shonley and I do. He’s met a ton of people so getting a shot was no big deal. To him; it was a big deal to me. It’s one of my favorites. We’re both Blazers fans, though I’ve cooled off since Big Red took […]

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