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TIGARD MAN: WHY MOVING OUT OF INNER CITY PORTLAND WAS A GOOD IDEA

I’ve been a Tigard Man for thirty years, but it feels like yesterday. Memories of Portland keep reminding me why I moved. Not bad memories, but they weren’t good for others. For example:

FRIGHTENED MAN: WHAT SCARES THEM THE MOST

One thing about frightened man is they make lots of noise. They’re loud, yet never ask, “Can you hear me?” Instead, they keep the volume turned to eleven. How can you tell, besides the noise, if a frightened man is also nutty as hell?

ROBIN RICHARDS TO THE RESCUE

Robin Richards top row center. Image via teamusa.org I grew up in a small Oregon town that had one big team, the wrestling team. And I wasn’t a wrestler, not yet. Instead, I played ball, the usual ball. And not very well, which made me question if I’d ever be more than washed up at […]

HOW STRONG PEOPLE PREVAIL OVER TOUGH TIMES

Strong people come from every corner of the globe. Based on what I call research, wandering around to flatten my learning curve, I met a bunch of strong folks between Philadelphia and Eugene, New York, and Portland. My interpretation of what strong means comes from where I was raised. It’s probably not much different than […]

DECADE ENDS IN SOFT TALK, HARD TRUTHS

    Me: This decade ends the best of times and worst of times. Them: Did you just make that up, or are you finally going to admit to stealing from Charles Dickens? Me: Writers don’t steal, they borrow. Them: Like the time you borrowed a notebook from Payless in Pony Village?

HOW TO GARDEN ON A GAY PROUD DAY

You look at a patch of ground in the yard and wonder, ‘could that mess every grow anything worthwhile, worth eating?’ So you throw some seeds one year, sprinkle some water. And nothing. After hardscaping with walls and patios, cleared space to grow vegetables one proud day, you end up with a bowl of rocks. […]

WHO LIES ABOUT ABANDONING NYC

I spoke to a woman recently who moved to Portland Oregon from Brooklyn New York, just casual conversation in a Safeway line. We had something in common since I moved here from the same place, though she didn’t start in North Bend Oregon. She was big city all the way with no perspective on the […]

HOW TO INTERACT WITH RAJNEESH CULT MEMBERS ON PORTLAND STREETS

    Most days after work in the 80’s I walked the same way to my NW Portland apartment. The path took me past a place called the Martha Washington on SW 11th. I walked the same way so I could talk to an interesting woman from the museum.   Note to remember: All museum […]

OREGON BEACH: RULES TO RELAX ON THE ROCKS

    This is first hand information on the Oregon beach, any Oregon beach, and how to relax.   Rule #1: Don’t get comfortable.   If you want comfort, go to California, or Mexico, or Florida. Nothing spells comfort like sand and sun.   Looking for a comfortable Oregon beach? It won’t take long. Drag […]

MOTIVATED LIFE: FEAR, ANGER, BIG FINISH

    From day one America grew an attitude of the picked on little brother. Instead of walking the plank of tradition and custom in the old country, early explorers took off for the new to live a motivated life. I hear Monty Python’s French accented, “Weee, doon’t neeeed yoooou.” That’s the enduring American story, […]