useful Archives • BOOMERPDX

page contents Google

BEING USEFUL LIKE ROBERT FULGHUM

June 23, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

This isn’t Robert Fulghum, it’s me being useful in my Robert Fulghum beard which has gone the way of every beard that dared show itself on my face. He is probably a better beard steward than me. My enthusiasm for grooming an extra pet in the house lasts about six months. The last dog lived […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: baby boomer, Baby Boomer blogger, Baby Boomers, banality, be useful, blog, blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, boomers, continuity, education, family, keep writing, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Portland Oregon, rational answer, repetition, Robert fulghum, Social media, story, tedium, travel, useful, well known, worth knowing, writer, writers, writing

HIGH SCHOOL CLASS FOR PLUMB, LEVEL, AND SQUARE

May 18, 2026 by David Gillaspie

The high school class I regret not taking? Shop. Woodworking. Construction. Why the regret? I bought a table saw. It’s piece of machinery people in their thirties and forties buy because there’s something missing in their life: They’ve never built anything. The table saw is also famous for kick-backs that send a piece of lumber […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Baby Boomer blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, carpentry, construction, construction industry, education, framing, high school, history, kids, learning, level, Love, lumber, plumb, Redmond High School, safety, square, trades, useful, wood, woodworking, writer, writers, writing

WINNING ARGUMENTS: THEN AND NOW

February 6, 2024 by David Gillaspie

Winning arguments with strangers is one thing; winning the same argument with someone close comes with side-effects. Someone close? How close. Let’s start with an internal argument, that little voice that won’t go away. Can’t get any closer than that, huh?

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: bad apple, black sheep, blame, blog, blogger, boomerpdx, calm, calm down, David Gillaspie, education, lady gaga, memorial, Mother Nature, nature, positive self-talk, remembered, remembering, smart move, surrender, teach, teacher, teaching, teaching moment, useful, writer, writers, writing

LIFE EXPERIENCE SHARED AND IGNORED? SO WHAT

June 10, 2023 by David Gillaspie

Life experience comes in two flavors: Useful and Not Useful. Boomerpdx comes in one flavor: Useful. So let’s look at ‘Life Experience.’

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: attention, boomerpdx, calmness, Conflict resolution, empathyj, life experience, objective, outraged, subjective, understanding, useful, vocabulary